Chapter 1736: Abandoning Zhen

The more Zhang Fan comprehended, the more uncomfortable he felt. He was amazed by the infinite mysteries of the Grand Dao of True and False, but at the same time, a slight bitterness rose in his heart because it didn't truly belong to him. It was like beholding a peerless beauty, yet only being able to admire her from afar.

Just as he felt a sense of melancholy and loss, a thought suddenly struck Zhang Fan: the true ownership of the Grand Dao of True and False remained unknown. Even if that mastermind viewed them as pawns, they had, after all, given them the opportunity to truly interact with it. He believed that nothing was impossible to achieve.

Zhang Fan quickly regained his spirits and fully immersed himself in comprehending the transformations of true and false. Having partially broken free from his shackles, he realized that apart from directly plundering by killing others, his own comprehension could also strengthen his understanding of the transformations of true and false. In fact, what he comprehended himself might be even more reliable than what he seized from other Fated Ones.

With this conviction, Zhang Fan entered into a long period of secluded cultivation. Regardless of the treacherous turmoil and bloody chaos outside, he remained steadfast in his enlightenment.

Time flew by, and the pawns scattered by Li Fan across the mountains and seas gradually died off in silence. From the initial magnificent scene of pawns spread throughout the mountains and seas, only a handful now remained, barely clinging to life. The speed of this change was truly unexpected. At its root, this was because a truth-restoring power confined to a specific time and place could not truly be called truth-restoring. Without the power to instantly reset the entire mountains and seas, there were countless powerful beings within them, and too many ways to counter truth-restoring. What seemed like a mere difference in numerical values was, in fact, a fundamental distinction.

When Zhang Fan awoke from his slumber, he immediately recognized this. He felt ashamed of his past arrogance and ignorance, realizing that he had been like a newborn calf fearing no tiger. He had believed that with the advantage of truth-restoring, he could freely traverse the mountains and seas. In reality, anyone at the Saint realm could probably break through its protection and directly suppress him. He considered how numerous the Saints were in the mountains and seas, and what would happen if they were to join forces.

With a thought, Zhang Fan silently recited the seven words: "When the true becomes false, the false also becomes true." It was as if he viewed the entire mountains and seas from the perspective of truth-restoring, gaining a general understanding of the scattered Grand Dao of True and False within them. He noted how their numbers had withered so much during just one period of secluded cultivation. Then he realized a large quantity was still gathered in one place. Zhang Fan's expression changed. He didn't dare to look directly but merely sensed it silently. While he was startled and alarmed, a touch of pity also arose within him.

In the past, countless Fated Ones were present, what a bustling scene. He had even thought of gathering everyone to expose the mastermind. Now, it seemed... He acknowledged that having the Grand Dao of True and False was indeed a supreme treasure and protection. But possessing such a treasure invited peril, and the risks faced were truly terrifying. With the Saints eyeing them covetously, ordinary Fated Ones truly had no good escape method.

Considering this, the idea that had emerged during Zhang Fan's secluded cultivation grew even stronger. And that was: he wanted to abandon the Grand Dao of True and False and instead comprehend other paths that truly belonged to him!

This decision, even to Zhang Fan himself, was incredibly unbelievable. The Grand Dao, reaching to the heavens, was within his grasp. Yet instead of seizing it for cultivation, he was abandoning the root for the branches, cultivating other, lesser paths? It was truly unwise. But Zhang Fan knew he had a compelling reason to do so. He sighed deeply again, acknowledging that truth-restoring ultimately did not belong to him.

During his long period of secluded cultivation, he had repeatedly tried to grasp it more firmly. But the distance between him and the Grand Dao of True and False had not shortened because of this. Nor had it grown distant. It remained consistently aloof, as if already predetermined. After countless failures, Zhang Fan finally decided to give up. He reminded himself that he who knows himself is enlightened; he who knows himself is wise. He tried hard to convince himself that abandoning one great mountain did not mean losing all the mountains in the world. Perhaps he could find the one that truly belonged to him.

Although he had formally decided to give up comprehending the Grand Dao of True and False, it did not prevent Zhang Fan from continuing to view truth-restoring as a handy tool. He considered that while a localized truth-restoring couldn't completely turn the tide, releasing it at a critical moment of life and death would at least cause some disruption. Moreover, he knew that all the Saints believed the Fated Ones' greatest trump card was truth-restoring. This, he thought, might be his opportunity. Zhang Fan's eyes flickered. As he breathed, a wooden fishing rod appeared in his hand. At the same time, a silver vortex emerged between his brows, and the slow sound of a sharpening blade seemed to echo in his ears.

During his seclusion, although he hadn't actively comprehended these paths, they had, however, proactively attached themselves to him, and the connection between them and Zhang Fan grew invisibly stronger. He felt as if he had returned to that sanctuary, living comfortably with the Old Man of Fishing, Xuanyuan Hong, and others. He had sought them desperately, but failed to obtain them. Yet, a willow planted without intent grows into shade of its own accord. This was also one of the important reasons for Zhang Fan's change in perspective.

Zhang Fan was not foolish; he had vaguely guessed the reason for these Grand Daos' transformation. It must be because of him that they perished. He felt little sorrow in his heart, only a touch of melancholy. However, Zhang Fan quickly cast all these emotions aside and began to comprehend the Grand Daos entangled with him. He noted that, except for the Grand Dao of Longevity, all the others had spontaneously gathered towards him, specifically Severing Fate, Fishing, Array Breaking, Forgetting Contrivance, Fortuitous Luck, and Paper Folding.

All these mysterious Grand Daos did not feel obscure or difficult to Zhang Fan; instead, he felt incredibly close and familiar with them. He mused that perhaps compared to the complete Grand Dao of True and False, they were more than just a notch weaker. But compared to the incomplete truth-restoring power, they were, in fact, stronger. He decided that a bird in hand was worth two in the bush.

Zhang Fan gritted his teeth and finally made his decision. In an instant, as if his obsession had been severed, Zhang Fan felt completely relaxed. All the complex emotions he had previously felt towards truth-restoring vanished. Only a calm acceptance remained: "If I gain it, it is my fortune; if I lose it, it is my fate." If truth-restoring was in his hand, he would regard it as a handy treasure. If it was gone, he would simply consider the treasure broken. Zhang Fan smiled lightly.

Although he had spent years comprehending the transformations of true and false, only to decide to switch paths in the end, it didn't mean his efforts over the years had been in vain. Zhang Fan vaguely perceived that the transformations of true and false shared many similarities with the Grand Daos entangled with him, such as Severing Fate and Fishing. Or rather, the relationship between the transformations of true and false and all the Grand Daos of the mountains and seas was like this. It was like the cornerstone of the mountains and seas. Comprehending the transformations of true and false would make it easier to comprehend other Grand Daos, achieving twice the result with half the effort. Conversely, if one fully mastered other Grand Daos of the mountains and seas, then the transformations of true and false would naturally become more proficient.

Zhang Fan fell into thought and once again entered seclusion where he stood. Originally, the various Grand Daos within him were separate and independent. But as time passed, Fishing, Severing Fate, Fortuitous Luck, Paper Folding, and others seemed to gradually begin to merge. The transformations of true and false acted like their catalyst. This caused all these paths, which once belonged to the mountains and seas' former divine cultivators, to converge on Zhang Fan.

The merging of these Daos, especially since they were all Grand Daos of the mountains and seas, required an extremely long time, measured by the lifespan of the mountains and seas. Zhang Fan seemed to have completely fallen into a deep slumber. And the fortuitous luck of the mountains and seas also seemed to exert its effect in the unseen. Zhang Fan quietly sat there, comprehending and cultivating. Over long stretches of time, vast presences continuously swept overhead, yet they never discovered Zhang Fan's whereabouts.

After an unknown period, all of Zhang Fan's aura completely retracted. It was as if he had vanished from the mountains and seas. And the lifespan of the mountains and seas was also nearing its end. Fortuitous Luck could no longer protect those within possibility, as the Dao Annihilation swallowed everything. However, the Dao Annihilation, capable of devouring the mountains and seas, proved ineffective against Zhang Fan. Black waves surged and crashed, passing right through him. They did not affect Zhang Fan in the slightest.

However, noticing the anomaly around him, Zhang Fan eventually stirred awake. He wondered how long he had slept for. Zhang Fan was somewhat surprised, but after perceiving his own realm, all his emotions vanished. He found himself having become a Saint just like that. Feeling his current state, Zhang Fan's expression was somewhat inexplicable. The endless, sprawling mountains and seas he had once seen no longer seemed so majestic and grand in his vision. He could shoulder them, his being their equal. A thought arose in Zhang Fan's mind: The mountains and seas are nothing more than this.

Breaking through from transcendence to the Saint realm should have been an earth-shattering event. However, when it happened to Zhang Fan, it was remarkably quiet. It was like water naturally finding its course, without any commotion. There wasn't even a ripple in his aura. He had simply become a Saint. To be honest, Zhang Fan felt a sense of loss. He hadn't personally experienced the thrilling moment of becoming a Saint. He was relieved that he had completed this step after all. Now, he realized, he had enough power and no longer needed to fear anyone in the mountains and seas. Originally, Zhang Fan thought he would first go to the mastermind's lair he had once sensed and confront the Lord of Truth-Restoring. But after realizing the near-extinction of the Fated Ones and the Grand Dao of True and False gathered not far away, he changed his mind.

He determined that someone must seek justice for them, and he, the one who survived, would do it. Zhang Fan stepped lightly, walking towards the depths of the mountains and seas. There, the Saints were gathered. However, the entire attention of all the Saints of the mountains and seas was focused on one particular spot. They didn't even react to Zhang Fan's quiet arrival.

Zhang Fan's gaze followed suit. A towering tree stood in the void. Countless figures hung upside down, like ripening fruit. The strong or weak auras of the Grand Dao of True and False emanating from them undoubtedly revealed their identities: Fated Ones! Among those countless figures, Zhang Fan also saw many familiar faces. This included Zhou Fan, who had used a widely known divine ability, putting Zhang Fan in an extremely difficult position. However, that had been countless years ago, and Zhang Fan's resentment had long since faded. There was no hatred, only a deep sorrow for them, as they were also Fated Ones.

Although they still possessed truth-restoring power, seemingly capable of resetting at any moment, all the Fated Ones, however, were trapped within a powerful illusion. This was a web of restraint crafted by the combined efforts of the Saints of the mountains and seas. It affected and distorted the Fated Ones' perceptions. The world they experienced was not the real world. What they believed to be truth-restoring activations were, in reality, not activated. He wondered what the Saints were trying to do. Were they trying to comprehend the Grand Dao of True and False by using the bodies of the Fated Ones?

That's what Zhang Fan initially thought. But he quickly realized something was wrong. No one knew better than him how elusive the Grand Dao of True and False was. Even by borrowing the Fated Ones' sensations and experiences, it would be impossible to comprehend even a fraction of true and false. Zhang Fan was certain that any attempt to comprehend truth-restoring was destined to be futile. He was certain that apart from the Lord of Truth-Restoring, no one else in this world could truly comprehend or control true and false. So many years had passed; given the Saints' talents, it was impossible for them not to realize this. He wondered what they were truly trying to achieve.

What happened next revealed the answer to Zhang Fan. The mountains and seas faced an apocalypse; the Dao Annihilation raged, churning relentlessly. But the Saints showed no panic. From the tree laden with Fated Ones, faint, strange fluctuations gradually emanated. Zhang Fan was, of course, intimately familiar with them. He recognized it as truth-restoring. He saw faint light and shadows surge forth, and the mountains and seas, swallowed by the Dao Annihilation, returned and reappeared in the world. It was as if the mountains and seas had been reset. But the great tree, from which countless Fated Ones hung, remained. The Saints remained. The mountains and seas, which should have been destroyed, regained a flicker of vitality due to this reset.

Zhang Fan was puzzled, wondering what the point of doing this was. "To still be alive is meaning itself," a voice stated, and all the Saints' gazes fell upon Zhang Fan. Zhang Fan wondered who the young man was as he appeared before him, his heart filled with vigilance. "Qiu Xinhui," the young man stated lightly, then inquired if Zhang Fan was there for revenge on their behalf. Though his motive was seen through, Zhang Fan didn't admit it. He only let out a cold snort. He retorted that he was there to free them.

"Freedom..." Qiu Xinhui smiled again. He repeated that to be alive had meaning, and questioned the freedom Zhang Fan spoke of. He asked if they truly desired it. Sensing he might not win a verbal argument, Zhang Fan narrowed his eyes and declared that whether they wanted it or not, he would decide. He then challenged them, asking if they intended to stop him.

Facing the gathered Saints, Zhang Fan felt utterly fearless. He even felt a subtle excitement. His life had, frankly, been rather boring. As soon as he emerged, he was subdued by powerful beings like the Old Man of Fishing, forced to stay in the 'novice village.' Later, when he finally managed to get out, he experienced a brief period of intense fighting. But most of his subsequent days were spent in hiding and secluded cultivation. Based on his actual sensory experience, the life he had lived hadn't even reached a hundred years. It could be said to have been quite uneventful. Now that his cultivation was finally complete, and he had the opportunity to contend with the Saints of the mountains and seas, how could he miss it? This was also why he had to come here first. His heart stirred with anticipation, and in his vision, the gleam of blades was already beginning to appear above the Saints' heads.

Just then, a pale dot suddenly entered his field of vision. The light of the Severing Fate blade completely dimmed. Zhang Fan's heart jolted with alarm, but he already felt a hand on his shoulder. He urged them to talk things out nicely, to avoid harming their relations. After all, he added, their goal was the same. Although the other party didn't explicitly state it, Zhang Fan knew who the 'goal' in his words referred to: the mastermind who created countless 'Fated Ones.'