Li Fan's previous victory against the Grand Magus had been due to the inherent advantage of the Spirit Severing Blade against the Grand Magus's Dao of Boundless. But against the Hungry Immortal, this wouldn't be as effective. Before his spirituality could be significantly diminished, the Hungry Immortal, at near-Unnamed level, could easily destroy the immortal puppet. Without True Return as a safety net, Li Fan wouldn't risk his original body.
As for the Hill Watcher's projection… In his previous life, he had used his Li Buren avatar to gather the Immortal Realm chess pieces, achieving Unnamed True Immortal level and unlocking the Hill Watcher's inheritance. But now, the true Mo Annihilation Immortal Soul was gone, lost in the merging of the three Daos. While he could simulate its power with the Interplay of Truth and Illusion, creating a stable Dao Net to contain the chess pieces was beyond his current capabilities. And the immortal puppet wasn't strong enough to attract the Hill Watcher's attention.
Thus, he had used the immortal puppet to demonstrate the "Observing the Mountain and Sea" technique, resonating with the Hill Watcher's projection and gaining partial control of the Lankedao Domain. While convenient, this had drawbacks. The Hill Watcher's projection was crucial for containing Dao Obliteration. Using its power required compensation. Previously, he had the Primordial Bone and could freely draw upon the projection's power, disregarding the consequences for the worlds within the High Wall.
But now, with only half of the Primordial Bone within the incomplete set of chess pieces, and the Dao of Boundless, though powerful, only equivalent to half a Heavenly Pillar in its ability to contain Dao Obliteration, he could only access a fraction of the Hill Watcher's power. And he had to prioritize his own safety. Confronting the Hungry Immortal required careful preparation.
Though he had easily subdued the Hungry Immortal in his previous life, their desperation, their ability to devour even the Hill Watcher's power, converting everything into nourishment, was a testament to their Dao of Hunger, a fundamental Dao originating from beyond Primordial Possibility. Having survived the journey to Primordial Possibility, adapting and evolving amidst Dao Obliteration, it was a formidable force. Li Fan had required the equivalent of nearly three Primordial Heavenly Pillars to subdue them. And at that time, the Hungry Immortal had only just reached the Unnamed level.
Having consumed and analyzed their essence, Li Fan knew this well. He wouldn't underestimate them.
Fortunately, his understanding of the Dao of Hunger surpassed even the Hungry Immortal's.
After careful preparation, the perfect trap was set.
Three years passed in the Xuanhuang World.
On the plains of the Immortal Ruins, the meditating skeletal figure suddenly opened its eyes, looking towards a distant point in the Star Sea.
"What's this? Someone's encroaching on my Dao of Hunger?" Initially confused, the Hungry Immortal finally understood why their meditation had been disrupted. They were both surprised and amused. With the previous Hungry Immortal's remains beneath them, no one could possibly surpass their understanding of Hunger.
"Still clinging to this Dao… they must be unaware of my presence. But to disrupt my meditation… their understanding is significant."
Intrigued, the Hungry Immortal thought, "Consuming them might accelerate my own comprehension." The chains binding them retracted, their missing flesh regenerated. They vanished, reappearing near the other cultivator of Hunger.
"Hmm?" The surrounding Daos felt strangely familiar, but they couldn't place the feeling. And the other cultivator… was gone. Their heart sank. They scanned the area.
Then, they saw a figure standing in the distance, and their body froze, the words "Master" almost escaping their lips. The figure's form and aura were identical to their master, Wuwei, Inaction.
As if sensing their gaze, the figure slowly turned.
A gaunt face, a calm gaze. But as the Hungry Immortal saw the face clearly, it was like a thunderbolt, shattering their composure.
"Master?!" Shock and confusion overwhelmed them.
The surrounding starry sky shifted. Faint lines crisscrossed, forming an invisible net, trapping the Hungry Immortal. The figure of Wuwei vanished, replaced by a vision: the world collapsing, Dao Obliteration descending. A memory deeply ingrained within them, of their world's destruction. But this time, even their master, the Immortal Wuwei, couldn't withstand it, consumed by the encroaching darkness.
"Master!" Terror seized the Hungry Immortal as the aura of Dao Obliteration surrounded them. They instinctively tried to flee, then, a moment later, realized the truth.
"A trap…?" But it was too late. The formation was complete.
Their vision dimmed, as if crushed by an invisible hand. The connection to the previous Hungry Immortal's remains beneath the Immortal Ruins was severed. Their struggles were futile.
A Heavenly Pillar slowly formed within the formation.
Only then did Li Fan, controlling the immortal puppet, appear.
"Subduing the mind is superior to conquering the city," he said, a smug smile on his face.
Luring the Hungry Immortal away from the Immortal Ruins, then shattering their composure with the image of Wuwei, and finally, using his own understanding of Hunger to sever their connection to the remains… he had simplified the capture process considerably. Confronting them directly on the Immortal Ruins would have been far more difficult.
"Unfortunately, they haven't reached the Unnamed level. Barely half a Heavenly Pillar." He examined his collection: Primordial, Boundless, and now Hunger, all incomplete, far from the majestic pillars that had once adorned the Star Sea.
"But I can't be greedy. Unnamed Celestial Venerables are powerful, but too dangerous. I could destabilize the Xuanhuang World before completing my immortal ark. These three… will have to suffice. I'll compensate for quality with quantity." Having lost True Return, he had learned to compromise, prioritizing stability over perfection.
He stored the Hunger Heavenly Pillar and went to the Immortal Ruins. Though the meditating Hungry Immortal was gone, the previous Hungry Immortal's remains still exerted a faint pull on the surrounding space.
In his previous life, he had allowed the current Hungry Immortal to achieve the Unnamed level, causing the remains to vanish. But now, the massive character for "Hunger" was still etched onto the ground.
He didn't try to move the remains. He sensed the aura of Dao Obliteration emanating from them. He knew that removing them would unleash the destructive force upon the surrounding starry sky.
"Such limitations… frustrating," he muttered.
Though he couldn't move the remains, he could, like the Hungry Immortal, meditate upon them, not to become the next Hungry Immortal, but to comprehend the previous one's Dao, the one they had cultivated before arriving in Primordial Possibility, before embracing Hunger. He sensed that this original Dao could further enhance his Myriad Manifestations Dao Net.
He sat at the center of the massive character, not needing chains to bind him. His will was enough to resist the Dao of Hunger's influence.
As his comprehension deepened, resonating with the remains, fragmented memories emerged.
"Not again! I escaped the last collapse. I won't be so lucky this time! Where is that damned Tribulation Crossing Immortal Coffin? I've searched for it for millennia!"
In the distance, a section of the sky vanished without warning, the tide of Dao Obliteration, hidden within the darkness, closing in, the familiar sound of the Mountain and Sea colliding echoing from within it, like a death knell tolling for his dying world, audible only to those who understood the Mountain and Sea. The sound triggered an instinctive fear within the Hungry Immortal. They wanted to flee.
"The Immortal Realm is doomed. I'll hide in the lower realms and find another way. Who stole my Tribulation Crossing Immortal Coffin?!"
Seemingly prepared for this, they reached the ascension passage almost instantly, a gateway to temporary safety.
"The Immortal Realm's collapse will take time. Hopefully, I can find a way to escape before Dao Obliteration reaches the lower realms." As they were about to descend, a voice called out.
"Wait!"
The Hungry Immortal ignored it, accelerating towards the passage. But the normally short distance seemed to stretch endlessly.
"Ignoring me? It seems you don't respect me. No need for pleasantries then." The voice grew closer, like a shadow. "With the Immortal Realm falling, the lower realms won't last long either. Someone has to hold back Dao Obliteration. Why not you? Sacrifice yourself for the greater good. We'll remember you."
A hand landed on the Hungry Immortal's shoulder, paralyzing them.
Fear turned to rage.
"You're courting death!" An immense, all-consuming force erupted from the Hungry Immortal, threatening to destabilize even the ascension passage, devouring several fleeing immortals.
But at the vortex's center, another figure remained unaffected, watching the Hungry Immortal with pity. "Your resolve is… disappointing. No need for a eulogy. Saves time." Their words sealed the Hungry Immortal's fate, their own thoughts irrelevant.
The Hungry Immortal was both terrified and enraged. "If not for needing to adapt to this world's Daos, if not for this disguise, I wouldn't be so vulnerable!"
The pressure intensified, crushing them, severing their connection to the world. As their consciousness faded, they finally saw their attacker's face clearly.
"You?! The Morality True Immortal?!" This final thought, filled with resentment, echoed within the Hungry Immortal's remains.
"I survived. They're all dead, but I'm alive. I was right. Master, Junior Brother… rest in peace." The Hungry Immortal, having traversed Dao Obliteration and reached a new possibility, looked at the familiar Immortal Realm scenery with satisfaction.
But their joy was short-lived.
"Where's my Tribulation Crossing Immortal Coffin? It should be here."
"And these Daos… they're rejecting me."
"I'll have to find a solution…"
"The Mountain Joining and Sea Returning Sages? Hypocrites hoarding the Mountain and Sea's power! The Dao of Mountain and Sea belongs to everyone! I'll devour them both!" Amidst a crumbling world, lightning flashing across the sky, the Hungry Immortal roared defiantly.
"You monster…" a voice, emanating from a half-decayed head beside them, whispered.
"Old fool! How does it feel, watching your disciples and your precious Daos being devoured? Hahaha!"
"You monster…" the head repeated, offering no other response.
"Boring." The Hungry Immortal crushed the head beneath their foot. Fragments of bone and brain matter splattered, then, mid-air, were drawn back and absorbed into their leg.
"I'll devour even the Daos themselves! I'm not afraid of the Mountain and Sea!" They glared at the distant darkness, where the ominous melody of the merging Mountain and Sea echoed, their eyes bloodshot.
(Author's note: I'll try to write during the day from now on. Can't stay up late anymore. My health can't handle it.)
(End of Chapter)