Chapter 1726: Watching the True God's Revival

Traveling against the mountain-sea current, with great difficulty, until the time the mountain-sea split its consciousness. One could also glimpse the mountain-sea's inner thoughts.

Sun Piaomiao's strength was undeniable. However, he ultimately could not contend with the strongest mountain-sea, which had just partaken in consuming a true god. Once discovered by them, his fate was obvious. Thus, Sun Piaomiao was forged into a tool for the mountain-sea to break free.

From behind the scenes in the Void Realm, he led boundless Dao Annihilation, eradicating the mountain-sea and returning it to a lone star. "Perhaps only the mountain-sea's own understanding of itself could create Dao Annihilation," Li Fan mused. "In reality, even without the existence of Dao Annihilation in the Void Realm, with the True God's Finger suppressing it, the mountain-sea was destined for fusion. It was just that, given the initial vastness of the mountain-sea, the time required for complete dissolution would be far too long—so long that the mountain-sea could not wait, fearing unforeseen variables. Thus came the calamity of Dao Annihilation in the Void Realm."

As Li Fan witnessed Sun Piaomiao continuously eroding the mountain-sea, deductions rapidly formed in his mind. He realized that "Like Intent" was not the "Eye of God" as he had thought. Instead, it was a part stripped from Sun Piaomiao by the mountain-sea. With this part missing, Sun Piaomiao retained only a single will, obediently awaiting and executing the Dao Annihilation absorption plan. "After all, Sun Piaomiao's power was already capable of profound creation; if he were also to gain the identity of the Void Realm's master... even the mountain-sea would likely have to yield a little. The current scene was the best proof!"

Layers of Dao Annihilation vortices intertwined, completely burying and concealing the mountain-sea within them. Sun Piaomiao stood atop the great tide. Above him, countless star-glows rose, shining ever brighter. Forcibly drawn into the script by Sun Piaomiao, the mountain-sea was no longer untouchable. The starlight shot forth in unison, like ten thousand sharp swords, piercing downwards. Sun Piaomiao, however, neither dodged nor avoided, a ferocious and deranged expression on his face. Even as he endured the assault of countless star-glows, he used his body as a bridge, sending the True God's Finger into the continuous starlight above.

The mountain-sea could deceive everyone in the world, even itself. Outside the script, it might even deceive the True God's Finger. But now, they had all fallen to the mortal realm. They could not escape the suppression of the True God's Finger, just as the mountain-sea had predicted countless years ago.

Within the endless brilliance, billions of overlapping shadows seemed to appear. The strange light slowly receded. In its place was the sight of mountain-seas overlapping, colliding, and shattering. Endless mountain ranges stretched across boundless oceans. The true form of the mountain-sea manifested within the Void Realm. There was only one true mountain-sea in the world. When the true mountain-sea appeared, the "actor" mountain-sea it had created instantly vanished, escaping from the heavy encirclement of Dao Annihilation. It merged with its previously disconnected true body.

The mountain-sea's momentum surged. It seemed to have returned to its most powerful state after splitting its consciousness, temporarily repelling the Dao Annihilation tide amidst roars like crashing mountains and surging seas. But the prosperity was merely an illusion. The moment they were forced back to their original forms, they once again began their so-called destined fusion. Even if they had evaded it for countless eons, what was destined would eventually come. A destined end of destruction. This time, it was no longer a pre-staged script. It was the destructive calamity about to truly befall the mountain-sea.

Sun Piaomiao, the master of the Void Realm, witnessed all this, as if his great vengeance had been exacted, and he laughed wildly, looking utterly insane. Thereafter, without any pause, the Dao Annihilation army, following his command, continued to swarm and devour.

Having returned from behind the scenes to the forefront, the mountain-sea, though its scheme was thwarted, was also in its most flourishing state. And Sun Piaomiao, having drawn the stars into the mortal realm and devoured most of the mountain-sea, was also at his most spirited. Both held irreconcilable enmities; their struggle was a fight to the death!

Compared to the scenes of Dao Annihilation and mountain-sea conflict Li Fan had witnessed in countless previous cycles, the current battlefield was even grander and more intense. Every single clash was comparable to the previous siege and blockade of the sentient "mountain-sea meridians" by the Void Realm. Both sides exerted their full strength, aiming for a swift victory and vowing to slay their current enemy.

For the mountain-sea, Sun Piaomiao, this mere tool, not only betrayed them but also ruined their grand plan of becoming a god. He deserved to die ten thousand deaths. For Sun Piaomiao, he was originally a medicine king who brought aid to the world, yet he was forced to devour and destroy sentient beings. Every act of absorption was no different from torture. In the calamity of the mountain-sea, in this script spanning billions of years, he truly was in an infernal abyss. This grudge was irreconcilable. When enemies meet, their eyes burn with particular intensity. The mountain-sea and Dao Annihilation disregarded their own consumption and paid no mind to future gains or losses; they sought only the other's demise!

Boom! Boom! Boom! The mountain-sea sank, falling into Dao Annihilation, stirring up layers of turbulent ripples. Veins of light and shadow moved, and the mountain-sea transformed from ethereal to corporeal, dispelling boundless darkness. It was as if billions of years of conflict between the mountain-sea and Dao Annihilation were compressed into mere days. The contention and turbulence erupting every moment were incredibly fierce.

Li Fan felt as if he were in a pool beneath a colossal waterfall. Millions of giant drums seemed to boom simultaneously, their deafening sounds reverberating. Amidst their collision, a deep hum echoed subtly. The ripples were like surging colossal waves, each possessing the power to overturn. Before such a terrifying battle scene, Li Fan's deceptive transformation, a shift between reality and illusion, was truly like a thin straw cloak in a tempest, constantly at risk of being swept away. With Li Fan's current strength, without the protection of the Grand Dao of Truth and Illusion, his fate would undoubtedly be instant death.

But he did not easily revert to reality. Firstly, at the most perilous moment of the battle, reverting to reality rashly would surely attract the simultaneous attention of both the mountain-sea and Sun Piaomiao, greatly increasing the risks. Secondly, Li Fan still wanted to witness the return of that fallen True God!

He thought, "Don't be fooled by the intensity of the fight; it's merely a struggle between trapped beasts in a cage. Regardless of who wins or loses, it has no bearing on the ultimate outcome. Since the mountain-sea's strategy to break free has already failed, what awaits them next is to return to the True God's destiny. The more furious their current offensive, the more it signifies their impotent rage." Thinking this, Li Fan no longer found the so-called behind-the-scenes machinations of the mountain-sea to be particularly terrifying.

This great battle seemed to have no end. However, during this process, Li Fan could keenly perceive that the scale of Dao Annihilation and the mountain-sea was continuously shrinking. And above them, in the place where the mountain-sea originally remained aloof and hidden, something terrifying seemed to be awakening.

The death match lasted for an unknown duration, but ultimately, the mountain-sea's underlying power prevailed. Stimulated by the impending destiny of returning to godhood, the true mountain-sea unleashed numerous divine abilities Li Fan had never seen before. Pure mountain-sea imagery: mountains propped up its power, and the sea declared infinity. Even within the merging of the mountain-seas, numerous creations surged forth. A magnificent, ineffable range of mountains rose from the sea, seemingly possessing a keen intent to suppress infinity. Ocean tides surged, constantly rising higher without end, inverting the space above. It was clear that, to cope with the impending return of the True God, the mountain-sea had exhausted every possible method, developing countless counter-strategies.

Although Sun Piaomiao had traversed a portion of the mountain-sea's life in reverse and, as the Void Realm's master, had once again witnessed the mountain-sea's transition from existence to non-existence, he slowly faltered amidst the infinite new transformations of the mountain-sea. He ultimately vanished, swallowed by the mountain-sea's boundless manifestations.

With all others obliterated, the victor, the mountain-sea, should have been in high spirits. The reality, however, was that Li Fan distinctly sensed a hint of fear from the mountain-sea before him. While Sun Piaomiao was present, the mountain-sea could still suppress its inner fear through endless death struggles. But now, its sole enemy had vanished. What the mountain-sea had to face next was the fallen True God. Just as it had done before, the mountain-sea remained unyielding, trying various methods to save itself, attempting to stop the mountain-sea's fated fusion.

But the current mountain-sea was no longer the original divided mountain-sea. It was a purified mountain-sea that had undergone several instances of massive absorption. There were no other living beings, no scapegoats left. The mountain-sea ultimately could not avoid facing its destiny alone.

Another billion years passed. The mountain-sea transitioned from extreme prosperity to gradual decline, then it fused and perished. Outside the mountain-sea, a speck of light was already faintly discernible. Just as recorded in Sun Piaomiao's prophecy, it was like a lone star, like a divine eye. Hovering high, it gazed down majestically upon the mountain-sea. The mountain-sea trembled before it. In its final moments, it still did not forget to struggle in death throes, but it was all useless.

The moment the mountain-sea finally perished, Li Fan, who had been observing everything, suddenly felt as if he had replaced the mountain-sea's previous position, directly facing the True God's gaze! Li Fan could even clearly feel the Grand Dao of Truth and Illusion, which he relied on as a protective charm, creaking under the True God's immense pressure. It seemed as if it could collapse and fail at any moment. It seemed that everything the split consciousness had devoured had now returned to the fallen True God. Although the starlight still maintained a single point, its might became invisibly denser. The weight on Li Fan's shoulders grew heavier and heavier. Even the Grand Dao of Truth and Illusion could no longer fully protect him; his body gradually turned into dust, scattering towards the lone point in the sky. Only the resilient Grand Dao of Truth and Illusion continued to struggle, holding on.

Even at this point, Li Fan had not reverted to reality, all to confirm a conjecture in his heart: Did the Grand Dao of Truth and Illusion truly belong to the True God? From all currently known information, everything in the world—every event, every object, every principle—originated from that fallen True God. If the True God wished to revive, it would reclaim everything that once belonged to it. If the Grand Dao of Truth and Illusion was indeed once a part of the True God, then it would undoubtedly return to the point of light above as the True God's revival progressed.

While maintaining his own form, Li Fan observed the changes in the Grand Dao of Truth and Illusion that he held. The mountain-sea had perished, but the True God did not immediately descend. It was as if only a final sliver remained before full revival; it merely scattered its radiance, becoming increasingly dazzling and brilliant. The brilliance frantically searched, attempting to find traces of the hidden Li Fan. Dazzling and brilliant, it filled his vision. The stronger the brilliance, the more intense the pressure it emitted and the attraction it exerted on Li Fan.

Finally, with a crisp snap, the Grand Dao of Truth and Illusion both collapsed. This was the moment Li Fan had desperately waited for. At the moment of collapse, Li Fan was able to witness the disintegration of "Returning to Reality." The immortal grand Dao palace, built with "Truth is also Illusion" and "Illusion is also Truth" as its core pillars, and various other Daos as its foundation, under the might of the True God, also crumbled with a crash. The various other Daos, like specks of starlight, returned to the True God that was about to descend. Only the two Daos of Truth and Illusion still desperately held on at the end. However, there was a difference between Truth and Illusion. "Illusion is also Truth" was clearly weaker in its resistance than "Truth is also Illusion." In this perilous situation, it was "Truth is also Illusion" that painstakingly dragged "Illusion is also Truth," maintaining the integrity of "Returning to Reality."

"So, it was as I first learned," Li Fan sighed in his heart. "All laws, all things, originate from the God." With the connection between truth and illusion about to be shattered by the True God, Li Fan dared not hesitate any longer. He called out "Returning to Reality" in his mind.

A wisp of light burst forth from "Truth is also Illusion" and then from "Illusion is also Truth." The brilliance of that light, the intensity of its will, at this moment, seemed to even overpower the heavenly radiance. "Truth is also Illusion" was like an invisible giant hand, wiping away the scattered starlight. "Illusion is also Truth" was like a divine brush, reshaping the vanished mountain-sea. In an instant, billions of years passed. The world, which had become empty due to the True God's revival, was once again filled with vitality. Li Fan returned to the anchor point: Year 1!

Having escaped the True God's grasp several times, Li Fan no longer felt fear or dread. Instead, he had gradually grown accustomed to it. His expression calm now, he reviewed what he had witnessed in the previous lifetime. "The fallen True God and the 'star' that the mountain-sea became after successfully executing its scheme were, after all, different," he thought. "Of course, if not for me, this variable, the mountain-sea might truly have completed its advancement after finishing its plan, becoming a God. But because I held 'Returning to Reality' and secretly kept the Grand Dao of Truth and Illusion, which originated from the True God, the mountain-sea's metamorphosis and ascension were no longer complete. It could only ascend to a 'star', not be called a 'God'. I previously conflated 'star' and 'God' because both 'star' and 'God' possessed incredibly overbearing power that tolerated no external interference. Moreover, their strength far surpassed that of the mountain-sea's inhabitants; once they manifested, sentient beings had no power to resist them at all. I simply couldn't discern any difference between what was called a 'star' and a 'God'. Perhaps, looking across the entire mountain-sea, only I know the difference. What distinguishes them is merely 'Truth and Illusion'."

At this thought, Li Fan couldn't help but think of Emperor Tianluo of the Primal Immortal Realm. He had once believed that Emperor Tianluo, leading the Immortal Realm, had collectively vanished without a trace, perhaps having successfully transcended the mountain-sea. But now, facing the "star" directly, facing the descending True God, he finally understood. Everything was within the mountain-sea's predetermined script; how could one truly transcend the mountain-sea? Outside the mountain-sea's script, there lay the true mountain-sea, waiting with predatory intent. "It's likely that the moment they broke free, they would be destroyed and then return to the mountain-sea's script."

"The only thing Emperor Tianluo could do," Li Fan mused, "was to ensure that the nourishment created from his and the Immortal Realm's destruction was distributed as much as possible to the primal beings. This might be why, after the destruction of the Primal Immortal Realm, all surviving beings saw an improvement in their innate talents."

Li Fan shook his head slightly: "How could a cage built by the phrase 'irrelevant to the ultimate outcome' be so easily escaped? Even with my countless reincarnations, having gathered the Grand Dao of Truth and Illusion, and comprehending all the truth behind the scenes... I still can't think of a way to break free in the short term."

Li Fan frowned slightly, truly feeling at a loss for ideas. How exactly could a God be slain? By his own means, creating countless sages and having them attack collectively? Under the illumination of the True God's radiance, the sages' fate would only be to melt away like ice and snow. "They originated from the True God; how could they contend with the True God? The mountain-sea's fate has already proven this point."

"The fall of a God..." Li Fan's gaze was profound as he looked beyond the Xuanhuang, to the dawn of time. "Perhaps only by going back to the time of the split consciousness, like Sun Piaomiao, can one vaguely glimpse the mystery of a God's fall."