In the Guangwu Star Sea, the central region surrounded by a hundred Celestial Pillars was shrouded in complete darkness. Yet beneath that darkness, undercurrents surged, and Dao Annihilation rose and fell like turbulent waves.

However, this small-scale Dao Annihilation was firmly held back by the densely packed True Immortal Celestial Pillars surrounding it, which stood like breakwaters.

From time to time, faint points of light drifted out of the central abyss of Dao Annihilation.

All one hundred Celestial Pillars suddenly blazed with light, shooting out countless threads that wrapped around the light points like ropes.

They then slowly dragged the light points out of the vortex.

...

Watching this extraordinary spectacle, Li Fan nodded in agreement.

"Regardless of whether the True Immortals within these hundred Celestial Pillars were willing or unwilling, being able to construct such an undertaking is already an extraordinary feat."

"Moreover..."

Li Fan fell into thought, recalling the Giant Rat Immortal he had just encountered.

"Senior Brother, there is still one thing I do not understand. What exactly was the Guangwu Star Sea planning when it sent that Giant Rat Immortal here? At the height of his power, the Giant Rat Immortal might have been an opponent that even the two of us together could not defeat. However, he had sealed himself inside an Immortal Coffin and drifted through Dao Annihilation for who knows how many years. His body had long since decayed beyond recognition. I subdued the Dao Sword and Dao Saber single-handedly, which should already demonstrate my strength."

"Even if I am no match for the Giant Rat Immortal, retreating unharmed would not be a problem. The people of the Guangwu Star Sea cannot possibly be unaware of this. Yet they sent such a thoroughly decayed Immortal Emperor here for nothing..." Li Fan's expression was filled with confusion.

"To be honest, I was also somewhat puzzled at first. However, I found the answer in that Giant Rat Immortal's memories." Inherit Dao stroked his beard and smiled.

He then proceeded to explain Li Fan's doubts.

The scene was once again the central region of the Celestial Pillars, where the Dao Annihilation vortex lay.

For some unknown reason, the Immortal Coffin containing the Giant Rat Immortal had been brought back here by the Guangwu Star Sea.

The hundred Celestial Pillars still shone like a vast web of light, supporting the Immortal Coffin as they slowly lowered it into the Dao Annihilation vortex.

However, they did not simply allow the coffin to be swallowed by the surging waves of Dao Annihilation. Instead, they continued to hold it tightly in their grasp.

They suspended it extremely close to the surface of Dao Annihilation.

The presence of the Immortal Coffin caused the Dao Annihilation vortex in this area to grow increasingly turbulent.

Then, after an unknown length of time, something beneath the invisible and imperceptible darkness of Dao Annihilation seemed to be drawn toward the Immortal Coffin.

It was about to surge out!

The cultivators of the Guangwu Star Sea immediately became as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Whatever was about to emerge from the Dao Annihilation vortex clearly held tremendous significance for them. The hundred Celestial Pillars shone with increasingly brilliant light, and quite a few living True Immortals even arrived in person. One after another, their figures turned toward the center of the Celestial Pillars.

Boom!

It was as though a colossal wave had suddenly crashed against a dam. The impact sent all one hundred Celestial Pillars, along with the entire star sea sheltered beneath them, into violent tremors.

Yet the True Immortals of the Guangwu Star Sea were not alarmed. Instead, they were overjoyed.

"Just as expected, we can lure it out!"

"Everyone, remain calm and follow the plan!"

The enormous waves continued to surge and crash against the pillars. All one hundred Celestial Pillars began to tilt to varying degrees, as though they might collapse at any moment.

Yet the immortals of the Guangwu Star Sea paid no attention to this.

More and more figures arrived at high speed from the outer perimeter of the Celestial Pillars.

However, their objective was not to save the pillars that were on the verge of collapsing. They had come for the thing beneath the Dao Annihilation vortex!

Light resembling countless threads also radiated from the bodies of these True Immortals.

They forcibly secured the Immortal Coffin that served as bait.

Perhaps the unknown existence below had exhausted its patience after failing to capture the bait for so long. At last, it burst out from beneath Dao Annihilation.

"The formation begins!"

A low, righteous shout rang out at the same moment the figure emerged from beneath Dao Annihilation.

All one hundred Celestial Pillars suddenly turned illusory, revealing a different human face on each one.

It was as though the sealed Nameless True Immortals had been resurrected from the dead. Every face glared furiously at the unexpected enemy that had appeared in their midst.

The Celestial Pillars, which had originally stood at different heights, with the inner pillars shorter and the outer ones taller, instantly became uniform in height.

The connection between the dark vortex at the center and the outside world was also severed.

The figure that had recklessly barged in now had its retreat cut off. It could no longer escape back into the great tide of Dao Annihilation in a short time!

After spending so long within the star sea, the mysterious power surrounding the figure gradually dissipated. Only then could the others finally see its true appearance.

It was another Immortal Coffin!

However, this coffin was even more decayed and shattered than the one that had contained the Giant Rat Immortal.

Only the general outline of an Immortal Coffin remained.

At its center lay a figure that resembled neither a rat nor a human, like a lump of rotten flesh slumped atop the remains of the coffin.

It seemed to have completely lost its consciousness. Even when surrounded and hunted by the immortals of the Guangwu Star Sea, it neither attempted to flee nor offered any resistance.

It merely continued staring at the Giant Rat Immortal, who had lured it into this deadly trap.

What happened next proved the truth of the Giant Rat Immortal's final words.

The devourer would eventually become the devoured.

As they gazed at the sinister, terrifying, and utterly inhuman decayed Giant Rat Immortal, the faces within the hundred Celestial Pillars all displayed undisguised greed, as though they had laid eyes upon some exquisite delicacy.

They paid no attention whatsoever to the Giant Rat Immortal's revolting appearance. Instead, they divided him among themselves and devoured him.

Sounds of satisfaction rang out one after another, as though they had just enjoyed a sumptuous feast.

The human faces disappeared from the Celestial Pillars, which returned to their ordinary appearance.

As the central pillars slowly shortened, the Dao Annihilation vortex reappeared.

However, the immortals of the Guangwu Star Sea did not immediately take further action. They first dragged the Immortal Coffin away and assessed the safety of the surrounding area near the Celestial Pillars.

The next operation to lure out and hunt their prey did not take place until three years later.

The target they attracted and retrieved this time was once again an anomalous True Immortal inside an Immortal Coffin. However, it did not resemble a rat. Instead, it was a long, worm-like creature covered in human mouths and eyes.

The mouths cursed at one another, while the countless eyes displayed a remarkably unified expression of calmness, sorrow, and despair. These seemed to be the final emotions they had experienced while still alive.

Regardless, after this anomalous creature was lured out, it met the same fate. It was divided up and devoured.

...

Li Fan turned back to Inherit Dao, still somewhat puzzled.

"Senior Brother, Nameless True Immortals have merged their bodies with the Dao. Under ordinary circumstances, shouldn't they be able to cultivate only a single Dao path?"

"Why, then, could the immortals of the Guangwu Star Sea absorb the remnants of the Dao paths within the Giant Rat Immortal? Could it be that every one of them is a genius capable of cultivating multiple Daos simultaneously?"

"Of course not." Inherit Dao smiled.

"Ordinary Great Daos cannot be cultivated simultaneously in this manner. However, the Dao principles within the Giant Rat Immortal were different. While devouring those other beings, the Giant Rat Immortal had already attempted to fuse the various Daos within himself. Afterward, he drifted through the great tide of Dao Annihilation..."

"To avoid being annihilated by Dao Annihilation, those Daos could only try to converge as much as possible. Even the Dao itself possesses an instinctive desire to continue existing. Therefore, if an Immortal Coffin drifts through the Mountains and Seas for long enough, the unimaginable pressure will cause the remnants of the Great Daos themselves to undergo a certain degree of fusion..."

"This, in turn, makes it possible for True Immortals to devour them."

"Much like a hard stone, it cannot be swallowed under normal circumstances. However, if you grind it into powder, you can just barely manage to ingest it. As for the consequences..." Inherit Dao shook his head slightly.

"Taking shortcuts and relying on tricks will never be the true path."

"But what does this have to do with the Guangwu Star Sea sending the Giant Rat Immortal to probe me? Logically speaking, with such a valuable bait, shouldn't they have kept him safe? Could it be..."

Li Fan suddenly realized something and raised his head sharply, looking toward the sky.

At some point, the Darkest Star Sea beyond the Archaic Immortal Realm had become as though it were shrouded in dark storm clouds.

"The Dao Annihilation Calamity?"

Only after carefully sensing the situation did Li Fan discover, through the phantom of Lord Hill Guardian, that the pressure of Dao Annihilation bearing down upon the Darkest Star Sea was steadily increasing.

This was clearly extremely abnormal.

"Is it because we killed the Giant Rat Immortal?" Li Fan looked at Inherit Dao.

"Perhaps the Guangwu Star Sea's objective was never you, Junior Brother. After all, there are countless possible reasons for suppressing the Dao Sword and Dao Saber. They simply happened to need a powerful expert capable of killing the Giant Rat Immortal. I suspect their true intention was to shift the calamity onto someone else." Even with the Dao Annihilation Calamity approaching, Inherit Dao still wore a smile.

"If it were only Master's phantom within the High Wall, he might not have been able to withstand it. But with you, Junior Brother, as an unforeseen variable, we happen to have just enough strength. Truly, the wonders of fate are beyond comprehension! Fortunately, we did not release them recklessly before..."

The ones Inherit Dao referred to were naturally the Hungry Immortal and the others sealed within the Celestial Pillars.

"Junior Brother, facing this incoming tide, I am afraid we will have to join forces."

"That is precisely what I would have wished for. I would hardly dare ask, yet you have offered it willingly!"

The more Inherit Dao had to shoulder the burden of sustaining Lord Hill Guardian's phantom, the less power Li Fan could obtain from it.

As the dark clouds filled the sky and drew closer, Li Fan had no choice but to return all the power of the other Celestial Pillars as well, lest the Darkest Star Sea suddenly collapse beneath the calamity.

Even so, they seemed unable to withstand this immense tide of Dao Annihilation, whose origin remained unknown.

It appeared to have precisely locked onto the location within the Archaic Immortal Realm where the Giant Rat Immortal had perished. Wave after wave surged toward them in succession, relentlessly pounding against their defenses.

The situation had changed in the blink of an eye.

If they could not hold out, the lower realm would be destroyed in an instant. Li Fan might be forced to use his life-saving method, returning to the [Truth].

Fortunately, seeing that Inherit Dao remained calm, Li Fan steadied his mind.

"Senior Brother, give me a moment."

Before his words had even faded, Inherit Dao transformed from the emaciated old man back into his blue silhouette. Clearly, he had completed the exchange between his true body and his phantom.

Li Fan gazed into the distance beyond the High Wall, only to see the Dao Net of the Shuo Star Sea suddenly erupt in dazzling blue light.

It enveloped the entire star sea, drawing everything within it along as it flew toward the High Wall.

"When we unite, we both benefit. If we remain divided, we will both perish!"

Inherit Dao's voice traveled from afar into Li Fan's ears.

Li Fan immediately rejoiced. "I am willing to join Senior Brother in resisting Dao Annihilation."

Yet inwardly, he hesitated for a moment.

He did not reveal this hesitation, however. Instead, he began cooperating with Inherit Dao to merge the Dao Net and the High Wall into a single structure.

The Dao Net and the High Wall.

In essence, both served as supports for the Great Dao by transforming Nameless True Immortals into its pillars.

The High Wall that resisted Dao Annihilation was, at its core, formed by the five phantoms of Lord Guarding the Mound. As for the true creator of the Dao Net, it was the Mountain-Sea Spirit Stone personally enlightened by Lord Guarding the Mound.

Thus, merging the Dao Net with the High Wall proceeded rather smoothly.

The Shuo Star Sea was forcibly dragged away from its original position and brought close to the High Wall.

However, beyond the High Wall lay a long and narrow region of annihilation. The surviving starry sky was not large enough to accommodate the entire Shuo Star Sea. Consequently, during the process of contact and integration, it appeared as though the star sea containing the High Wall had violently stabbed into the Shuo Star Sea.

This was merely an illusion.

In Li Fan's eyes, beside the five towering phantoms of Lord Hill Guardian, who stood with their heads reaching the heavens, stood numerous figures that barely reached their waists. Judging by their appearance, these figures were all Inherit Dao.

They stood with their heads lowered behind the phantoms of Lord Hill Guardian, demonstrating their respect.

Behind the figures of master and disciples stretched numerous Dao Strings, slanting outward like taut ropes.

Although these Dao Strings were not like true Celestial Pillars, which could extend directly into Dao Annihilation itself, they nevertheless provided a form of support.

As the fusion progressed, the rope-like Dao Strings grew increasingly dense.

Only when the growing network of supports had reached a sufficient density did Li Fan finally feel the dark clouds hovering above the Archaic Immortal Realm slowly disperse.

They had not disappeared.

Rather, having realized that they could not achieve their objective, they had temporarily retreated.

No one knew when they would return.

"Thank you for saving me, Senior Brother." Li Fan spoke solemnly.

Inherit Dao waved his hand. "I was saving myself as well as you. If we had only the Dao Net, I am afraid it would not have held out."

After speaking, Inherit Dao pointed toward the region where the Shuo Star Sea had originally been located.

That region had already been on the verge of collapse. Now that the Dao Net supporting it had been removed, the Dao Annihilation Calamity immediately surged down, swallowing everything in an instant.

The once vibrant starry sky had fallen into absolute darkness and death.

The resulting region of complete annihilation resembled a collapsed chasm, completely severing the combined structure of the Dao Net and the High Wall from the outside world.

Li Fan's expression turned grim. "It seems your speculation was correct, Senior Brother. The Guangwu Star Sea has repeatedly used the Immortal Coffin to fish for things within Dao Annihilation. Perhaps this attracted the attention of some unknown existence. Wherever the Immortal Coffin is located, the Dao Annihilation Calamity erupts with even greater ferocity. Keeping it by our side would undoubtedly be a hidden danger."

"And I happened to demonstrate sufficient strength. Thus, they devised a scheme to throw this troublesome burden onto us."

Inherit Dao pondered for a moment before adding, "I suspect it was not merely the number of times they used it. Rather, they must have fished up something extraordinarily special. Only then would it have provoked the tide of Dao Annihilation into attacking them."

"After all, if there truly is some existence within the great tide of Dao Annihilation, it would not know that the immortals of the Guangwu Star Sea were responsible for orchestrating everything. The only thing it would remember is the Giant Rat Immortal, who served as bait."

"The Guangwu Star Sea must have tampered with something inside the Giant Rat Immortal's body. At the very moment he perished and his Dao vanished, the fluctuations he released attracted the attention of something beyond the tide of Dao Annihilation..."

"If the path through the starry sky had not been severed, I would march straight to their doorstep and kill them all!" Li Fan said through gritted teeth.

Inherit Dao narrowed his eyes. "Do not be impatient, Junior Brother."

"To attract the attention of the tide of Dao Annihilation and cause an actual change in the calamity itself... This matter is unquestionably extraordinary."

"Let me report it to Master."

Li Fan was startled. "Would that not trouble Master? Is that really appropriate? Would it not make us, his fellow disciples, appear incompetent?"

Inherit Dao shook his head. "This is no time to put on a show of strength. You have also studied Hill Guardian's Miscellaneous Notes, so you should know that throughout the countless years Master spent guarding the hill and gazing toward the sea, he repeatedly attempted to summarize the changes and patterns of the mountains and seas."

"Yet he never reached any conclusions."

"If Master learns that this so-called Guangwu Star Sea has discovered something capable of triggering predictable changes in the tide of Dao Annihilation, I am certain he will find it extremely interesting."

Having said this, Inherit Dao did not wait for Li Fan to respond. He simply closed his eyes and sat cross-legged.

Li Fan sensed a mysterious connection forming, as though it had broken through the barrier separating the mortal world from the mountains and seas.

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