"To comprehend the Three Thousand Great Daos through the strength of a single person. What the Grand Mage has conceived actually coincides with some of my own thoughts."

Looking around, Li Buren was somewhat surprised. At the same time, he was also somewhat puzzled.

The inner essence of the Grand Mage was a manifestation of the myriad aspects of all living beings.

It was also a manifestation of the countless Great Daos between heaven and earth.

The countless living beings copied by the Grand Mage had become vessels for the manifestation of the Great Dao.

Li Buren looked at the countless faces arranged throughout the heavens, and for a moment, he almost had the illusion that he had entered the Dao Net.

In fact, from a purely conceptual perspective, the Grand Mage alone was already equivalent to the Dao Net.

It was just that, whether in terms of the precision with which the living beings here comprehended the Dao, or the number of Dao principles present, there was still an enormous gap compared to the Dao Net Li Fan had seen in the Shuo Star Sea.

"These various paths of the Dao are all manifested through different living beings. But..."

Li Buren shifted his gaze away from Lan Yu and casually looked toward another person, an ordinary mortal from Daoyuan Prefecture.

A trace of the aura of the Great Dao related to 'painting' had condensed around his body.

The intensity of its fluctuations was something that an ordinary mortal could never possibly possess.

"The shadows copied by the Grand Mage have an understanding of the Dao that far surpasses that of their original selves..."

Li Buren followed the gazes of the countless living beings and looked toward the place they were all focused upon.

In the unseen depths, the Illusory Life Dao Shadow resided there.

Li Buren immediately understood. "So that is how it is. The Illusory Life Dao Shadow represents the ultimate manifestation of change. It not only adapts according to the circumstances of the heavens, but can also produce different reactions after coming into contact with the various living beings of heaven and earth."

Back then, when the Ten Great Immortal Sects entered Heavenly Capital and saw the Illusory Life Dao Shadow, different cultivation techniques appeared before each person's eyes and ears. Yet without exception, they were all closely related to what they had learned before, as if they had been tailor-made specifically for them.

Because of this, the people of the Ten Great Immortal Sects concluded that the Grand Mage must have come from the Immortal Realm. The cultivation techniques he had imparted to them should likewise have been inheritances from the Immortal Realm.

"The Immortal Realm... How could there be any mortal-world techniques there? The true inheritances of the Ten Great Immortal Sects are still far inferior to genuine Immortal Realm methods!"

"They would never have imagined that the so-called inheritances were merely the different evolutions naturally produced by the Illusory Life Dao Shadow after coming into contact with them. It was just like a mirror!"

"The Grand Mage had them enter and meet the Illusory Life Dao Shadow. As for his periodic freezing of the living beings of Daoyuan Prefecture afterward, he was probably after the manifestations of the Dao reflected within this mirror."

Thinking of this, Li Buren could not help but look at the Grand Mage of Heavenly Capital with newfound respect.

Having obtained a supreme treasure that provided a direct path to the Nameless realm, he had not been like the Hunger Immortal and directly started comprehending the Dao contained within the supreme treasure. Instead, he had used it as a tool, attempting to incorporate all the Great Daos of the world into his grasp...

And the Grand Mage was actually only a mere Half-Immortal.

Such conduct could simply be described as arrogant and overestimating his own abilities.

Yet Li Buren knew very well that when faced with the nameless supreme treasure, the Grand Mage had still been able to suppress his greed, endure in solitude for ten thousand years, and remain true to his original intention.

He could never be a fool.

"There must be a reason for what he is doing."

Li Buren did not press him for an answer yet. Instead, he watched the various paths of the Dao that the Grand Mage had accumulated over ten thousand years through the changing transformations produced by the Illusory Life Dao Shadow in countless living beings throughout the world.

Rarely, a smile appeared on his face.

"His strength is insufficient. In the end, he is merely making a wedding dress for someone else."

"Since you have offered such a generous gift, I will accept it."

With this thought, overwhelming black ink suddenly erupted from Li Buren's body.

Like countless tentacles, it successively stained the countless manifestations of the Dao within the Grand Mage's inner essence.

Just as Li Buren had deduced, every single figure contained insights into different paths of the Dao.

They were like fruits that had condensed over tens of thousands of years, incomparably enticing to cultivators.

Li Buren showed no mercy and directly claimed all of them for himself.

As the countless manifestations of the Dao were devoured by Li Buren, within Li Fan's true body, in the endless sea of black ink within the Celestial Spirit Ink Death, different droplets of water gradually began to emerge.

They were exactly the same as the phenomenon previously displayed when Ink Death had stained the heavens and earth of the Xuanhuang Realm.

The Grand Mage's comprehension accumulated over tens of thousands of years, combined with Li Fan's own insights gained through reincarnation.

Countless ink droplets representing different paths of the Dao separated from the Celestial Spirit Ink Death.

The myriad aspects of all living beings continuously emerged.

While bringing vitality to the Celestial Spirit Ink Death, they also provided it with a path toward transforming into different Great Daos.

Sensing the drastic changes occurring within his body, Li Fan's heart stirred. A flickering flame, red at its center and edged in black, appeared in his palm.

"Ink Death as the inner essence, Crimson Flame as the manifestation."

"This flame..."

Li Fan flicked his finger.

The black flame instantly transformed into a thin thread and flew out of the Xuanhuang Realm, violently colliding with the Celestial Pillar formed from the Hunger Immortal in the Darkest Star Sea.

Not even the slightest ripple appeared. The Celestial Pillar remained completely unmoved.

After all, it had been formed from a Nameless True Immortal and could withstand the Dao Annihilation Calamity. Li Fan's true body was still only at the Half-Immortal Realm. Although Ink Death was extraordinary, it was simply insufficient to damage the Celestial Pillar of the Hunger Immortal.

Li Fan was not surprised. He merely raised his brows slightly and sensed the inconspicuous black scorch mark on the Celestial Pillar.

"After merging with a Great Dao, the Nameless Immortal body possesses such powerful rejection toward all other paths of the Dao. Yet it still cannot completely expel Ink Death."

"Moreover, along with that black mark, the erosion of Ink Death is still continuing. Although it is somewhat slow, at least it is persistent."

"If time is stretched infinitely, even this towering Celestial Pillar may not be able to avoid being pierced one day."

"And this is only the beginning..."

Li Fan had a vague premonition that as he eroded more and more paths of the Dao, Ink Death's ability to erode would become increasingly powerful.

"It is as if the different paths of the Dao possess certain common points hidden within them. The more paths of the Dao I erode, the more of these common points I will grasp."

"Using them as a key, I will ultimately be invincible wherever I go."

The idea of using Ink Death to stain and erode the Three Thousand Great Daos had only just emerged in Li Fan's mind, yet it had already taken root and begun to sprout.

Aside from his own accumulation, he relied even more upon the accumulation of the Grand Mage over tens of thousands of years.

As the overwhelming black ink completely swallowed the inner essence of the Grand Mage, Li Fan also detected certain characteristics of his comprehension of the Dao.

Unlike the structure of the Dao Net, where countless nodes stood side by side, the Grand Mage ultimately still had himself as the core.

The countless manifestations of the Dao surrounded and protected him at the center.

He was like an emperor receiving the worship of all the Great Daos beneath the heavens.

Except now, with Li Fan intervening, this majestic emperor had already become a solitary ruler with no subjects left.

Li Buren confronted the true Grand Mage.

Surrounded by countless versions of his former self and trapped in a desperate situation, the Grand Mage of Heavenly Capital unexpectedly displayed none of the emotions one might expect, such as dejection, fear, or rage.

The Daoist child, whose appearance was young and innocent, remained completely calm. He merely continued making calculations with his fingers, seemingly trying to deduce something.

In the end, it appeared that he had found nothing.

He shook his head and chose to give up.

“May I ask where Daoist Fellow came from?” he asked faintly.

“Of course, from where I came from,” Li Buren replied coldly.

Seeing that Li Buren was unwilling to reveal anything, the Grand Mage did not press further.

Instead, he bargained, “I will hand over the [Shadow of Taiyi] to you. In exchange, you let me leave. How about it?”

“Taiyi?” Li Buren pondered for a moment.

Then he said indifferently, “Once I kill you, this Illusory Life Dao Shadow will be mine as well.”

The Grand Mage looked somewhat melancholy upon hearing this, but it was not because Li Buren was determined to kill him. Rather, he was concerned about the different name Li Buren had given that illusory figure.

“So you see it as Illusory Life.”

“There is no difference.”

The Grand Mage shook his head.

“Before heaven and earth were born, there was boundless chaos, and Taiyi first emerged.”

“Afterward, the myriad things gave birth to one another.”

“Taiyi is the ultimate power of change in this world. If Taiyi were still Taiyi, then the world would not have become what it is today.”

“The Great Dao itself is declining. Taiyi transformed into Illusory Life. Heh heh, in the past, I was indeed deceived by it.”

Li Buren narrowed his eyes as he listened to this somewhat abstruse explanation.

“Even if the Great Dao were not declining and the true Dao of Taiyi were placed before you, what could you do? You are merely a Half-Immortal.”

Seeing that Li Buren still had not made a move, the Grand Mage was more than happy to prolong his life for a while.

“Fellow Daoist, that is something you do not understand. The Dao of Taiyi already has a master. That is precisely my master.”

“Although Master has departed and left only a remnant shadow in this world, it is not something I could covet. I merely rely on Master's divine might to comprehend the paths of the Dao in this world,” the Grand Mage said leisurely, showing not the slightest trace of someone whose life was hanging by a thread.

“You think that by inventing some nonexistent master, I will not dare refine you?” Li Buren snorted coldly.

The Grand Mage smiled mockingly and pointed at his Daoist robe.

“I have dressed like this Daoist attendant for countless years. This is exactly how I looked when I served at Master's side back then. I have never changed for all these years. How could you call it fabrication?”

“Whether you believe me or not is up to you. But there is no need for you to worry. Even if you kill me, Master will not come forward for my sake. Back then, Master left behind this illusory shadow because it was supposed to support the collapsing heavens of the Immortal Realm. Unfortunately, before I could send the shadow there, entire Immortal Regions had already been submerged by Dao Annihilation. I watched Master's illusory shadow, and greed arose within me...”

“How could someone capable of transcending even be unable to control his own remaining illusory shadow? Your lie is becoming rather crude,” Li Buren remarked.

The Grand Mage glanced at Li Buren, his tone somewhat unfathomable.

“When I said that Master had departed, I meant [passing away], not transcending. Although Master possessed heaven-defying divine abilities, since he chose to die, naturally not the slightest trace of spirituality remained.”

Li Buren was stunned into silence upon hearing this.

What the Grand Mage had said was indeed beyond his expectations.

“To integrate with the Dao of Taiyi, yet die so easily?” His words were filled with disbelief.

“Easily... Heh heh heh.”

The Grand Mage laughed without answering. Instead, he changed the subject.

“Indeed, if my old master had still wished to continue living, then he probably had ways to prolong his life. But Master simply did not want to!”

“Who in this world could possibly have wished less for Master's death than I did? After all, as long as he was alive, even the Immortal Emperor governing the Immortal Realm at the time would have to treat me with utmost respect and courtesy whenever he saw me.”

“But once he died...”

“Heh heh heh.”

The smile on the Grand Mage's face became somewhat sinister and distorted.

“From what you say, your master must have been one of the supreme experts of the Immortal Realm. How did he compare with Lord Hill Guardian?” Li Buren ignored the other's strange expression and directly asked.

“Lord Hill Guardian.”

The name pulled the Grand Mage out of his resentful mood, leaving him momentarily dazed.

Only after a while did he slowly say, “Master and Lord Hill Guardian never met.”

“Master was a renowned expert known throughout the Immortal Realm, whereas Lord Hill Guardian lived in seclusion in the wilderness, rising suddenly like an unexpected force and becoming famous almost overnight.”

“I once asked Master about Lord Hill Guardian, and he said...”

The Grand Mage suddenly stopped, intending to keep Li Buren in suspense.

Li Buren actually endured without asking. He merely stared coldly at the Grand Mage, waiting for him to continue.

After they remained locked in silence for a while, the Grand Mage found it boring and said, “Master merely said five words: ‘The blameless are naturally strong.’”

“What exactly he meant, however, is beyond me.”

“In any case, until the day he passed away, he never mentioned Lord Hill Guardian again.”

Li Buren carefully savored the five words, “The blameless are naturally strong.”

After a long while, he suddenly asked again, “Back then, how many experts like your master were there in the Immortal Realm?”

The Grand Mage's expression became immersed in memories.

“There were only three people throughout the entire Immortal Realm who could sit and discuss the Dao with Master.”

“Of course, that does not include Lord Hill Guardian.”

“When Master traveled about, sometimes he would take me along, while at other times he would wander alone.”

“I remember once asking Master which of the Four Sage Lords was the strongest. Master did not answer. He merely smiled and tapped me on the forehead. He said...”

“Who is the strongest, I do not know. But if you ask who has worked the hardest, then it must be the two Sage Lords, Lianshan and Guihai.”

“After saying this, Master seemed to think of something amusing and suddenly burst into hearty laughter.”

The instant Li Buren heard the names Lianshan and Guihai, he instinctively thought of the mountain and sea that Lord Hill Guardian had seen.

He could not help asking, “This Lianshan and Guihai...”

The Grand Mage came back to his senses and stared at Li Buren.

After remaining silent for a long while, as if considering something, he finally answered Li Buren's question.

“Lianshan, the First Immortal in the world.”

“Guihai, the one who opened the Infinite Spring.”

“One could say that these two Sage Lords created the eternal golden age of the Immortal Realm from nothing,” the Grand Mage said solemnly, each word deliberate.

From his expression, his reverence for these two Sage Lords was unmistakable.

Those few short sentences sounded like thunder in Li Buren's ears.

The Grand Mage's meaning was not difficult to understand.

Lianshan was the First Immortal in the world.

Guihai was the True Immortal who discovered a method to connect with the Infinite Ocean, allowing Immortal power to become inexhaustible from that point onward.

Someone who had personally witnessed the vastness and boundlessness of the Infinite Ocean and could turn its power into his own strength had undoubtedly reached an unfathomable level of power.

As for the name Lianshan, when associated with the mountains that stood opposite the Infinite Ocean, it was quite worthy of deep consideration.

“Perhaps the Mountain was the foundation of power for the First True Immortal.”

Li Buren's thoughts raced rapidly.

The Grand Mage's origins were far greater than he had imagined.

“Besides the three Sage Lords, Taiyi, Lianshan, and Guihai, what about the remaining one?” The Grand Mage answered every question he could, so Li Buren continued extracting information about the ancient Immortal Realm from him.

“The remaining one...” The Grand Mage pondered for a long while, and for once, there was a trace of hesitation in his expression.

“Cannot be spoken of.”

After a long silence, he shook his head.

“Master, Lianshan, and Guihai have all already passed away. Only this Sage Lord still remains in the world.”

“If you mention them, they will sense it.”

[TL Note:-

[1]: Taiyi means the Great One, Great Unity, or Supreme Unity in Daoism, representing the primordial, undivided state of the universe before the emergence of Yin and Yang.

[2]: [连山] (Lián Shān) — Interlinked Mountains

[3]: [归海] (Guī Hǎi) — Returning to the Sea/Ocean]

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