Chapter 1742: Dao Trace

"False Yuchun's eternal void world can serve as an alternative," Xuan Yuanhong began. "In the previous life, I failed to engrave the marks of truth and falsehood. This life, after devouring my original being, my understanding has progressed, and there has been a qualitative change. Perhaps I can try again."

"What if you become a god?" the Lord of Severing Fate asked, his words startling.

"Even if you acquire the power of truth and falsehood, becoming a savior will not be easy," the Angler remarked, his tone not optimistic. "You still need to patiently cultivate over several more lifetimes, observing all the various changes."

Although united in spirit, the group of Ascended Gods still held differing opinions on this particular matter.

Zhang Fan merely listened, not easily offering his opinion.

"Regardless," Zhang Fan stated, "we must first visit the two seniors, True Shi Yin and False Yuchun."

Feeling reassured, he settled Bai Shouyue there. Afterward, with the help of the Angler and others, Zhang Fan first located True Shi Yin, who was hidden within the mountains and seas.

It must be said, True Shi Yin was indeed incredibly well-hidden.

Even with knowledge of his existence, Zhang Fan searched the mountains and seas extensively but could not find any trace of True Shi Yin. Even after invoking the Grand Dao he had comprehended from True Shi Yin's cultivation, True Shi Yin still remained in seclusion.

Ultimately, it was only after the Ascended Gods conducted a comprehensive, net-like personal search that they managed to find him.

"Such a grand display," True Shi Yin said, staring at the group who had suddenly appeared at his doorstep. "I fear you harbor ill intentions."

"You might not believe it, fellow Daoist," Zhang Fan said with a touch of helplessness, "but I am here to repay a kindness."

"Repay a kindness?" True Shi Yin sneered.

"You actually comprehend the Dao of Ephemerality that I realized," True Shi Yin continued. "I suppose you gained it from killing me in the previous life. No wonder I vaguely recall you. And this time, you've gathered so many helpers..."

True Shi Yin's eyes gleamed fiercely. "Enough talk, let's fight! Although you are numerous and powerful, I, True Shi Yin, am not necessarily afraid of you!"

Facing True Shi Yin's misunderstanding, Zhang Fan simply said, "You use ephemerality as a brush, attempting to depict truth and falsehood, yet you have always sought it without success. Now that the Grand Dao of Truth and Falsehood is right before you, would you not like to try?"

"Hmm?"

Thus, with their united will, all misunderstandings vanished.

True Shi Yin was overjoyed, acting completely different from before.

"Splendid! I can't believe you actually succeeded!" he exclaimed. "The Grand Dao of Truth and Falsehood is indeed profoundly mysterious!"

The deathly pale light that occasionally flashed on his body deepened, and through Zhang Fan's insights, he finally glimpsed the ultimate creation he had long and arduously pursued.

In fact, after glimpsing truth and falsehood, all the Ascended Gods gained something.

However, the connection between their paths and truth and falsehood was far less intimate than True Shi Yin's.

Therefore, their gains were considerably less.

After meeting True Shi Yin, the next step was to find False Yuchun.

"I wonder if any traces were left behind in his world."

Soon, their doubts were resolved.

Guided by True Shi Yin, the moment they returned to the eternal void world, Zhang Fan sensed a faint, almost imperceptible familiarity.

False Yuchun, meanwhile, was standing at the center of the world, staring at a trace that should not have been there, his expression solemn.

"It wasn't completely preserved, only a faint, almost imperceptible residue. But..."

"It's definitely a good start!"

Everyone was overjoyed, as if they had seen hope.

After another moment of shared purpose, False Yuchun's doubts finally vanished.

He was even more excited than the other Ascended Gods. "To gain one is to gain all! If the trace were complete, this eternal world might truly be able to birth its own truth and falsehood!"

Finally, Void Daoist was also found, and the mountains and seas presented an unprecedented scene of joyous harmony and tranquility.

The group, united by their shared purpose, collectively aided Zhang Fan in writing the scroll of truth and falsehood.

They attempted to engrave the marks of truth and falsehood.

At the same time, the Ascended Gods were also discussing the possibility of promoting Zhang Fan to godhood.

"In the long cycles of reincarnation," one Ascended God said, "we have all crushed the mountains and seas and attained godhood. However, according to the memories of our original beings, the entities we faced after becoming gods were not truly fallen True Gods returning, but the true mountains and seas themselves."

"In other words, though we call ourselves Ascended Gods, in reality, we are merely false gods."

"However, fellow Daoist Zhang Fan might be able to attain True Godhood."

This was the best plan the group came up with after their collective discussion.

"All things return to godhood; how to reverse this?" Even standing at the pinnacle of existence and pooling their wisdom, they found it difficult to find an answer to this question.

"Only by becoming a True God, perhaps then there might be a solution."

"The only problem is, after achieving True Godhood... will I still be myself?"

Zhang Fan's gaze swept over everyone.

Although his inherited memories of his original being were somewhat incomplete, the fear of the ultimate return to godhood within him was incredibly clear.

"Therefore, this step requires extreme caution."

"After all, what truly happens after becoming a god... no one in this world knows."

"We are merely tiny consciousnesses living on one link of the long, ceaseless cycle of reincarnation."

He was in no hurry to make a decision, as this life had just begun, and there was plenty of time for preparation.

The drawing of the scroll of truth and falsehood proceeded more smoothly than Zhang Fan had expected.

Perhaps the battle to devour his original being had caused another fundamental transformation within him.

He had actually easily accomplished what neither he nor his original being could achieve in the previous life.

In the eternal void world, a boundless scroll flashed into existence.

It appeared within the world, yet it seemed to encompass the entire world.

It only appeared for an instant, then vanished.

But everyone saw clearly: "This world is no longer void."

False Yuchun wept with joy, and under the influence of their shared purpose, the other Ascended Gods were also filled with emotion.

"Our primary task now," an Ascended God declared, "is to find a way to delay the arrival of the end."

"To allow truth and falsehood to emerge from this trace."

Zhang Fan nodded. "Though the trace of truth and falsehood is complete, it is ultimately just an imprint. It is still difficult to escape the transformations of truth and falsehood."

"With each reset, the trace will likely be greatly reduced. Only when the truth and falsehood of this realm are birthed, pitting truth and falsehood against truth and falsehood, only then can an unchanging constant be left behind in the midst of repeated resets."

"Another unchanging constant, besides me, this outsider," Zhang Fan repeated.

Having reached a consensus, it was time for each of the Ascended Gods to display their powers.

"We have been hidden for so long; it's time to be more active."

The Lord of Severing Fate spoke first. "I will go to the Primordial Immortal Realm first and forcibly put an end to those people's delusions. If we want to extend the existence of the mountains and seas as much as possible, the priority is to reunite them and strengthen them from within. Only those in the Saint realm can traverse and assist in this reunification. The beings of the Primordial Immortal Realm can be well-utilized as aid."

Unsure what he thought of, a flicker of excitement appeared in the eyes of the usually lazy Angler.

He suddenly stood up and said, "I'll go with you. Heh heh heh, it's been a long time since I last took action; I'm itching for a fight."

If only the Lord of Severing Fate, an Ascended God, had acted, there might have been some complications.

But if the Angler were added to the mix...

The Saints of the Primordial Immortal Realm, even if numerous, would not be able to make much of a splash.

Everyone present was absolutely certain of this.

After all, only after achieving godhood would one truly comprehend the vast chasm between gods and mortals.

And what's more, they now had the augmentation of truth and falsehood.

The Primordial Immortal Realm. All things competed, with great conflict brewing beneath the surface.

After countless years of conflict, this realm had achieved a subtle and strange balance.

All the Saints were secretly lying in wait, patiently awaiting unforeseen changes to seize the opportunity for godhood.

However, the appearance of the Lord of Severing Fate and the Angler did not attract their attention in the slightest.

The Angler looked around, a nostalgic expression in his eyes. "This area, I haven't been here for a long time."

"Back then, I was like this, stubbornly misguided."

The Lord of Severing Fate, however, showed little emotion and said chillingly, "Waking them up early is actually a good thing for them."

"Let's begin."

The moment the Lord of Severing Fate finished speaking, all the Saints in this realm, no matter where or how they were hidden, were horrified to discover that a blade existing between reality and illusion, truth and falsehood, had silently appeared above their heads at some unknown point.

It had no physical form, yet it could not be removed by any method.

With the blade suspended above their heads, it felt as though their lives hung by a thread.

"Who?"

Most of the Saints were enraged, attempting to find the master behind the blade's shadow.

Some vaguely sensed trouble and tried to flee this realm, escaping to the mountains and seas.

However, the moment they were about to leave the Primordial Immortal Realm, their vision went black.

They then found themselves trapped in an unknown place.

"Just stay put for now."

A calm voice came from above, seemingly containing an undeniable authority.

"That voice is..."

"The Angler of Mountains and Seas?"

"His power is actually this terrifying?" The Saints were filled with fear and could not hide their various doubts.

Locking onto all Saints in an instant, capturing them with a single thought.

What kind of realm was this?

If they were so strong, why did they not participate in the conflict for fragmented divinity?

Just as they were perplexed, figures one after another from above were continuously thrown in.

They were all, astonishingly, familiar individuals from the Primordial Immortal Realm.

The Saints grew even more terrified.

Packing up the Primordial Immortal Realm did not take much time.

"Sigh, how dull," the Lord of Severing Fate sighed. "I had thought they would at least offer some resistance."

"I can release them all, and then you can try again," the Angler suggested with a smile. "Without using the transformation of truth and falsehood."

"Forget it then. Too troublesome," the Lord of Severing Fate shrugged.

Then he suddenly sighed again. "The transformation of truth and falsehood is indeed endlessly profound, but ultimately, it doesn't belong to us. I fear that in the next life, without our shared purpose and without the augmentation of truth and falsehood, it will be difficult to adapt, and then greed might arise."

"Just as we once pursued godhood. Though we knew it was unattainable, our obsession lingered."

"If such a thing truly happens..."

"Please stop me," the Lord of Severing Fate said very earnestly.

"Me too," the Angler said, ceasing to smile.

A moment later.

"It's been a long time since we've had such an abundant harvest! We should celebrate with a big drink!"

A gourd appeared in the Angler's hand. After tilting his head back and taking a deep gulp, he casually tossed it to the Lord of Severing Fate.

The Lord of Severing Fate didn't disdain it and drank it down heartily.

Afterward, the two glanced at the now silent Primordial Immortal Realm and quietly returned. The Saints were then released.

Though they had gained freedom, the blade still hung high above their heads, so the Saints did not act foolishly.

"Achieving godhood is inherently an illusory matter, so there's no need for you to make futile efforts."

"Of course, I know that persuasion won't sway you. That's why I placed a blade above your heads."

"I ask all of you to assist in reuniting the mountains and seas. On the day the mountains and seas are rebuilt, I will grant you your freedom."

The Lord of Severing Fate said coldly.

Although his words were very polite, even using the word 'please',

Yet the Saints clearly felt that the blade above their heads grew sharper and descended a little closer.

Even if they didn't dare to refuse, they all nodded in agreement.

"However, the mountains and seas stretch endlessly, and to successfully reunite them..."

"Even if we act," Ta said in a deep voice, "it will likely be like trying to put out a burning cart with a cup of water."

"Don't worry, you only need to take the lead," it was Zhang Fan who spoke.

In a single thought, hundreds and thousands of phantom figures split off from Zhang Fan.

"I will use the method of True Spirit Infusion to continuously create Saints of the mountains and seas. You will be the main force, and the newly created Saints will be the supplementary force. With everyone's efforts, even if the mountains and seas currently have countless chasms, it won't take long to successfully reunite them."

"True Spirit Infusion? Creating Saints?" Upon hearing this, all the Saints of the Primordial Realm were shaken to their cores.

The familiar mountains and seas they had known in the past were shattered in an instant.

They suddenly realized at this moment that the truth of the mountains and seas might be far more profound than they had imagined.

The situation was beyond their control.

Even if they were unwilling, under the compulsion of the blade above their heads, the Saints could only comply.

Reuniting the mountains and seas was indeed a tedious and arduous task.

Even with the power of the Primordial Saints, and even with a continuous stream of Saints arriving as reinforcements, the Saints still grew physically and mentally exhausted during the long reconstruction of the mountains and seas.

However, after the blade's shadow above their heads mercilessly struck down Suo, who had tried to escape this destiny, all the other Saints became obedient.

They reluctantly continued.

Suo did not perish.

The Severing Fate Blade flashed; Suo lost his Dao path and fell from the Saint realm.

But he was then forcibly infused with True Spirit, changing to another Dao path, and sent back into the great task of reuniting the mountains and seas.

However, his situation was far less comfortable than before.

Like all the other continuously created Saints, he had to physically toil and traverse the void realms. Then, using his body as a bridge, he had to construct the pathways for the reunification of the mountains and seas.

As for the Primordial Saints, they merely needed to oversee the overall situation and act at critical moments to ensure everything proceeded smoothly.

The difference between them might not have seemed like much in the short term. But as days turned into months and months into years, the feelings and experiences truly became as different as heaven and earth.

The immense difference in Suo's circumstances before and after completely extinguished any thoughts of escape among the Primordial Saints.

Although the project of reuniting the mountains and seas was long, fortunately, given the current situation, it was not without an end in sight.

Just endure it, and it will pass.

Once the mountains and seas were reunited, they would be free.

Given the power of Ascended Gods like the Lord of Severing Fate and the Angler, they surely wouldn't deceive them.

"Fellow Daoist Fan's method is truly wonderful," Old Man Wang Ji said admiringly. "I had originally thought that suppressing and supervising them would take a lot of effort."

"I never expected the Saints to be so compliant, which saved us a lot of trouble."

"It's just that..."

The group of Ascended Gods looked at the eternal void world.

The birthing of truth and falsehood still seemed to be a distant prospect.

"If the mountains and seas are successfully reunited, but the nascent truth and falsehood have yet to emerge, what then?"

Zhang Fan's expression was calm, his gaze profound. "Then we can only make the Saints of the mountains and seas suffer a bit more."