méng lóng shuǐ wù zì lǐ fán shēn shàng ， cháo zhe zhōu wéi kuò sàn kāi lái ， shà shí jiān fù shān gài hǎi ！
朦胧水雾自李凡身上，朝着周围扩散开来，霎时间覆山盖海！
Faint mist-like curtains of water hung in the air, effectively shielding against the newly ascended "Dao" who was still exerting his压制.
hēi bái èr qì jiū chán 【 dào dé 】 zuǒ yòu ， xíng chéng jù dà xuán wō 。 shì tú cóng shuǐ wù zhōng xiǎn lù shēn xíng 。
黑白二气纠缠【道德】左右，形成巨大漩涡。试图从水雾中显露身形。
In this vast expanse of the Daoist realm, it truly was an unprecedented feat to challenge a saint with transcendence. However, Li Heng did not become overly confident.
dàn zhōng jiū wú jì yú shì 。
但终究无济于事。
"The remnants of the Nine Sages' power are far greater than what I witnessed from 'Dao'. Even if I can resist 'Dao', I might not be able to withstand the combined might of the Nine Sages," he thought. "Therefore, the plan to create a saint must continue."
wù sè yù nóng 。
雾色愈浓。
"But... we could simultaneously uncover the secrets of how True Daoist Sage achieved sainthood."
zuì zhōng yān mò lǐ fán zhōu wéi yī qiè ， bāo kuò zuì hòu guān tóu suǒ guān chá dào de zhū duō liú guāng 。
最终淹没李凡周围一切，包括最后关头所观察到的诸多流光。
Li Heng left behind an ethereal shadow in the primordial Yellow World and stepped into the possibility where he had witnessed the ascension of 'Dao'.
shuǐ lián wù qì ， céng céng zhē yǎn 。 shì jiān xiàn rù yī piàn hēi àn 。
水帘雾气，层层遮掩。世间陷入一片黑暗。
"Both He Gan and Wu Mian should not be underestimated. We need to prepare thoroughly!"
máo dìng 1 nián ！
锚定1年！
Compared to the bleak scene Li Heng had experienced, this possibility was teeming with vitality.
chéng gōng hái zhēn ， táo guò 【 dào dé 】 zhèn shā de lǐ fán ， xǔ jiǔ méi yǒu dòng zuò 。
成功还真，逃过【道德】镇杀的李凡，许久没有动作。
The most notable difference from the original possibility was that there was no Lord Shou Qiu present. The Immortal Realm had been mostly destroyed by the initial waves of Daoian forces.
zhǐ shì xiān yī jiù xuǎn zé bǎo liú shàng yī cì mó nǐ zhōng shěn shěn de jì yì 。
只是先依旧选择保留上一次模拟中婶婶的记忆。
However, due to this destruction, the Immortal Realm did not face direct annihilation but survived as scattered islands amidst the vast expanse of Daoian forces.
“ nà jī hū yùn hán zhěng gè shān hǎi xīng jiè shēng jī de quán shuǐ bù duàn chōng shuā ， dí què néng gòu shǐ de gāng sǐ bù jiǔ 、 shī tǐ wán zhěng de shěn shěn sǐ ér fù shēng 。”
“那几乎蕴含整个山海星界生机的泉水不断冲刷，的确能够使得刚死不久、尸体完整的婶婶死而复生。”
During his interactions with Daoian forces in the past, Li Heng had long known that Daoian forces seemed to possess a unique consciousness. The stronger the resistance, the more intense their attacks became. Conversely, if there was little resistance, they would maintain a relatively calm state for an extended period before slowly consuming any remaining territory.
“ dàn què shì shuǐ mó gōng fu ， zuì shǎo xū yào bǎi nián guāng yīn 。 shàng yī shì zhǐ shì guò qù le wǔ shí duō nián ， shěn shěn de yì shí dōu hái méi yǒu wán quán sū xǐng ……”
“但却是水磨功夫，最少需要百年光阴。上一世只是过去了五十多年，婶婶的意识都还没有完全苏醒……”
The remnants of various lower world seas in the original possibility were similar to this scenario but now applied to the Immortal Realm.
zǐ xì jiǎn yuè le shěn shěn jì yì ， què bǎo bú huì chū xiàn pī lòu 。
仔细检阅了婶婶记忆，确保不会出现纰漏。
The Immortal Realm had been divided into numerous scattered islands. The Three Sages and the Immortal Emperor no longer existed, communication was severed, and even nameless True Sages were scarce, let alone transcendent experts.
lǐ fán zhè cái xuǎn zé ràng shěn shěn jì chéng 。
李凡这才选择让婶婶继承。
"This possibility holds little value for He Gan," Li Heng thought. "Why would he come here to seek enlightenment?"
hái zhēn zài shǒu ， yī qiè jǐn zài zhǎng kòng zhī zhōng 。
还真在手，一切尽在掌控之中。
He Gan's method of seeking enlightenment had been clearly explained by Wu Mian: it involved using the disasters he caused to consume any lingering sense of morality within himself, ensuring that his fundamental "Dao" remained unaffected.
zài zhè chǎng zào shèng jì huà zhōng ， lǐ fán zhǎng kòng le jué duì de zhǔ dòng quán 。
在这场造圣计划中，李凡掌控了绝对的主动权。
"The location where He Gan seeks enlightenment must have been carefully chosen," Li Heng mused. "If my guess is correct, this place holds something extremely important for both He Gan and True Daoist Sage."
bái shù yuè chá jué dào mù hòu zhēn xiàng de kě néng xìng ， jī hū wèi líng 。
白漱月察觉到幕后真相的可能性，几乎为零。
However, the True Daoist Sage was not a native of this possibility.
zuì shǎo zài tā chéng shèng zhī qián ， shì zhè yàng 。
最少在她成圣之前，是这样。
The scattered Immortal Seas were not large, especially to a transcendent like Li Heng. Since he couldn't find any leads immediately, he decided to conduct a thorough search.
……
……
With ample time before He Gan's arrival, it took five years for Li Heng to discover something potentially related to the True Daoist Sage on an Immortal Island.
bái shù yuè fǎng fú zuò le yí gè hěn zhǎng de mèng 。
白漱月仿佛做了一个很长的梦。
"This face is extremely similar to the newly ascended 'Dao'."
mèng lǐ ， tā hǎo bù róng yì cóng wú miàn xiān rén de shǒu zhōng táo tuō ， qián wǎng gāo qiáng wài xīng hǎi de shí hòu 。 yòu yù wèi zhī xīng kōng dà shǒu 。
梦里，她好不容易从无面仙人的手中逃脱，前往高墙外星海的时候。又遇未知星空大手。
Could this be a descendant of the True Daoist Sage in this possibility?
wèi le bì miǎn cǎn zāo qiú jìn de mìng yùn ， tā yì rán xuǎn zé zì jìn shēn wáng 。
为了避免惨遭囚禁的命运，她毅然选择自尽身亡。
Li Heng observed a female True Sage who was unusually rare, lacking any servants. He pondered aloud.
“ ó ， duì le 。 bìng bú shì mèng 。”
“哦，对了。并不是梦。”
If the servants were not regulated under Wu Wei's governance, they had been freed from their servitude by the will of the island's ruler and now enjoyed privileges akin to those of True Sages, including access to the Infinite Sea and Mount Above.
“ shì wǒ shàng yī shì de jīng lì 。” bái shù yuè róu le róu yǐn yǐn fā téng de tài yáng xué 。
“是我上一世的经历。”白漱月揉了揉隐隐发疼的太阳穴。
However, none of them had achieved immortality on their own; it was all due to the female True Sage's benevolence.
“ yě bù zhī shì bú shì wǒ cuò jué ， zǒng gǎn jué ， zhè yī cì de fù huó 、 bǐ qǐ guò qù ， sì hū yòng le gèng zhǎng de shí jiān 。”
“也不知是不是我错觉，总感觉，这一次的复活、比起过去，似乎用了更长的时间。”
In the complete Immortal Realm, only the Imperial Court controlled the connection to the Infinite Sea. But in this residual possibility, this female True Sage wielded the former Emperor's authority and freely bestowed it upon her subjects.
“ nán dào ……”
“难道……”
All could become immortals!
bái shù yuè méi tóu shà shí cù qǐ ， xīn zhōng yī zhèn 。
白漱月眉头霎时簇起，心中一震。
These beings revered her deeply but not as slaves would a master. It was simply gratitude for her kindness.
“ wǒ de chóng shēng cì shù ， guǒ rán bìng fēi wú xiàn de me ？”
“我的重生次数，果然并非无限的么？”
The female True Sage seemed satisfied with how she was treated by the island’s inhabitants, and they coexisted harmoniously.
“ zhè duì wǒ ér yán ， jué bú shì shén me hǎo xiāo xī a ……” bái shù yuè yī shí jiān biàn dé yǒu xiē yōu xīn chōng chōng 。
“这对我而言，绝不是什么好消息啊……”白漱月一时间变得有些忧心忡忡。
It resembled an idyllic paradise free from worries.
suī rán bái shù yuè bìng fēi bēi guān zhī rén 。
虽然白漱月并非悲观之人。
"Li Heng inherited the name of Dao."
dàn wú xiàn de chóng shēng ， gēn yǒu cì shù xiàn zhì de chóng shēng 。 jué duì shì wán quán bù tóng de liǎng jiàn shì 。
但无限的重生，跟有次数限制的重生。绝对是完全不同的两件事。
"But it's just a child's game," Li Heng sneered.
“ yě bù zhī ， jiū jìng wǒ de chóng shēng cì shù ， gēn shén me yǒu guān 。 nán dào ， měi yī cì de chóng shēng ， huì xiāo hào xiē shén me mù qián wèi zhī de dōng xī ？ suí zhe wǒ shí lì de zēng jiā ， cì shù huì bú huì zài dù biàn duō ？”
“也不知，究竟我的重生次数，跟什么有关。难道，每一次的重生，会消耗些什么目前未知的东西？随着我实力的增加，次数会不会再度变多？”
His gaze locked onto all True Sages on the island, instantly freezing them in place.
bái shù yuè nǎo hǎi zhōng kòng zhì bú zhù de ， fú xiǎng lián piān 。
白漱月脑海中控制不住的，浮想联翩。
The inhabitants, including the female True Sage, were also frozen.
xiān qiě bù tí ， chóng xīn huó guò lái de bái shù yuè ， yǐ jīng àn zì xià dìng jué xīn 。 zài yě bù tīng wú liàng bì de gǔ dòng ， shén me qù xuán huáng jiè wài xún cháng xiū xíng zhī dì 。 ér shì lǎo lǎo shí shí zài xuán huáng jiè fā yù xiū xíng 。 cóng shàng yī shì de jīng lì lái kàn ， wài jiè xiǎn è ， gèng shèng xuán huáng jiè bǎi bèi ！
先且不提，重新活过来的白漱月，已经暗自下定决心。再也不听无量壁的鼓动，什么去玄黄界外寻常修行之地。而是老老实实在玄黄界发育修行。从上一世的经历来看，外界险恶，更胜玄黄界百倍！
Li Heng confirmed her identity from within her mind.
lǐ fán zé shì yī biān bàn yǎn zhě shěn shěn de hǎo zhí ér ， yī biān tóng yàng huí xiǎng zhe shàng yī shì zuì hòu de jīng lì 。
李凡则是一边扮演者婶婶的好侄儿，一边同样回想着上一世最后的经历。
She was not a descendant of the True Daoist Sage but had some connection to him.
tā zǎo jiù duì wú miàn xiān 、 hé gān xiān de zhēn zhèng dào dé shēn fèn guī shǔ yǒu suǒ huái yí ， gù ér bù xī dòng yòng zhēn líng fén jǐn zhī shù ， bī chū le hé gān xiān de zhēn shí shēn fèn 。
他早就对无面仙、何干仙的真正道德身份归属有所怀疑，故而不惜动用真灵焚尽之术，逼出了何干仙的真实身份。
At that time, when the world-destroying Daoian forces descended, the True Daoist Sage attempted to save lives like the original Lord Shou Qiu. However, his power was insufficient to counter such a massive force, and he perished in the Daoian onslaught.
zhǐ bù guò ， yuán xiān lǐ fán shì xiǎng kàn hé gān xiān 、 wú miàn xiān shēn fèn bèi jiē chuān hòu de qì jí bài huài 。 què méi xiǎng dào ……
只不过，原先李凡是想看何干仙、无面仙身份被揭穿后的气急败坏。却没想到……
But the True Daoist Sage's efforts were not entirely in vain; he had saved many lives, including this female True Sage.
wú miàn 、 hé gān ， jìng rán jiù cǐ hé yī ， zhèng dào shèng wèi le ！
无面、何干，竟然就此合一，证道圣位了！
Although most inhabitants of the scattered Immortal Seas had long forgotten about the True Daoist Sage, she did not. She even took it upon herself to become a new True Daoist Sage and changed her appearance to resemble her benefactor.
shén me shí hòu ， chéng shèng zhè me jiǎn dān le ？
什么时候，成圣这么简单了？
She practiced the ways of Dao!
lǐ fán suī rán shàng bù zhī jiū jìng rú hé chéng shèng ， dàn zhū jiè wéi yī 、 shān hǎi tóng gé ， yīng shì shèng zhě zuì qǐ mǎ bì xū mǎn zú de tiáo jiàn 。
李凡虽然尚不知究竟如何成圣，但诸界唯一、山海同格，应是圣者最起码必须满足的条件。
She saved and taught others!
“ dào dé hé yī ， biàn néng zhèng dào shèng wèi 。”
“道德合一，便能证道圣位。”
"But this is limited to this possibility," Li Heng thought. "It involves He Gan's enlightenment..."
“ shì fǒu shuō míng ， dào dé fēn jiā hòu de wú miàn xiān yǔ hé gān xiān ， běn jiù shì zhū jiè wéi yī de cún zài ？”
“是否说明，道德分家后的无面仙与何干仙，本就是诸界唯一的存在？”
He decided not to alert them and instead hid to observe secretly.
lǐ fán yī fān sī liáng hòu ， yǐn yǒu suǒ wù 。
李凡一番思量后，隐有所悟。
Withdrawing his gaze, the frozen True Sages on the island returned to normal, unaware of Li Heng’s presence.
“ bù cuò 。 ruò shì yuán běn de 【 dào dé zhēn xiān 】， huò xǔ shān hǎi zhōng qí tā kě néng xìng lǐ ， huì yǒu lìng wài de tā cún zài 。 dàn ， wú miàn xiān gēn hé gān xiān ， běn jiù shì bù cún zài yú shān hǎi zhī wù 。 yīng shì dào dé zhēn xiān ， yǐ mì fǎ 【 dào dé fēn jiā 】 fū huà de chǎn wù 。 zì dàn shēng zhī rì qǐ ， jiù shì shān hǎi dú yī fèn 。”
“不错。若是原本的【道德真仙】，或许山海中其他可能性里，会有另外的他存在。但，无面仙跟何干仙，本就是不存在于山海之物。应是道德真仙，以秘法【道德分家】孵化的产物。自诞生之日起，就是山海独一份。”
They continued their lives as usual.
“ bié rén fèi jǐn jiān xīn fāng cái néng dá dào de zhū wǒ guī yī ， biàn bèi zhè wèi dào dé zhēn xiān ， jiǎn jiǎn dān dān yòng yī fǎ mén jiù néng wán chéng ……”
“别人费尽艰辛方才能达到的诸我归一，便被这位道德真仙，简简单单用一法门就能完成……”
Li Heng remained hidden, carefully setting up and waiting patiently.
“ bù guò ， néng gòu fēn huà shān hǎi dú yī zhī wù ， zhè 【 dào dé fēn jiā 】 de fǎ mén ， běn jiù jí bù yī bān 。”
“不过，能够分化山海独一之物，这【道德分家】的法门，本就极不一般。”
Until...
hěn kuài jiě jué le dì yí gè yí wèn ， dàn lǐ fán què duì dì èr gè wèn tí ， bǎi sī bù dé qí jiě 。
很快解决了第一个疑问，但李凡却对第二个问题，百思不得其解。
Black mist descended from the sky without warning, spreading across the entire world.
hé gān xiān gēn wú miàn xiān ， jiū jìng shì rú hé zuò dào yǔ shān hǎi tóng gé de ？
何干仙跟无面仙，究竟是如何做到与山海同格的？
This black mist did not possess any actual destructive power; even if living beings came into contact with it, they would suffer no harm.
sī lái xiǎng qù ， lǐ fán dōu méi néng zhǎo dào gè hé lǐ de jiě shì 。
思来想去，李凡都没能找到个合理的解释。
However, their actions and thoughts were altered.
zhǐ néng tuī cè ， huò xǔ gēn èr zhě suǒ chù de qí tè zhuàng tài yǒu guān 。
只能推测，或许跟二者所处的奇特状态有关。
They suddenly picked up weapons to murder those around them or turned against their benefactors in revenge!
“ dào dé èr zhě ， shì fēn shí lí ， běn yīng nǐ zhōng yǒu wǒ 、 wǒ zhōng yǒu nǐ 。 nán yǐ fēn gē 。”
“道德二者，似分实离，本应你中有我、我中有你。难以分割。”
"Great kindness is great hatred; losing virtue leads to Dao..."
“ dàn què bèi wǒ ， qiáng xíng dìng xìng le shǔ xìng 。 dǎo zhì dào dé chè dǐ fēn gē kāi lái 。”
“但却被我，强行定性了属性。导致道德彻底分割开来。”
In this possibility, there was no concept of cause and effect. After abandoning their duties, these beings did not face any retribution but instead seemed to gain immense strength as if they had ingested immortal elixirs.
“ wǎn ruò dà dào bēng tā biàn yì ， zhè yī shùn jiān ， huò xǔ bèng fā chū le jí qí páng dà de néng liàng 。 jiù zhèng rú wǒ chuān yuè qián suǒ zhī de liàn shì fǎn yìng bān ……” lǐ fán xiàn rù le tiān mǎ xíng kōng de xiǎng xiàng zhī zhōng 。
“宛若大道崩塌变易，这一瞬间，或许迸发出了极其庞大的能量。就正如我穿越前所知的链式反应般……”李凡陷入了天马行空的想象之中。
Those who lost their sense of morality grew even stronger.
bì jìng xiàn zài lǐ fán yě zhǐ néng xiǎng xiàng dá àn le 。
毕竟现在李凡也只能想象答案了。
The endless slaughter spread throughout the entire possibility.
chéng shèng zhī lǐ ， běn jiù shì shān hǎi jiān zuì dà de mì mì zhī yī 。 ruò shì lǐ fán jǐn píng guān mó suǒ jiàn 、 jiǎn dān yī sī liáng ， jiù néng jiāng chéng shèng mì mì kān pò 。 nà me zhěng gè shān hǎi de shèng zhě shù liàng ， yě bù zhì yú rú cǐ xī shǎo le 。
成圣之理，本就是山海间最大的秘密之一。若是李凡仅凭观摩所见、简单一思量，就能将成圣秘密勘破。那么整个山海的圣者数量，也不至于如此稀少了。
He Gan remained hidden above the scattered Immortal Seas, at the core of the black Daoist mist's flow. Li Heng could feel that most of He Gan’s attention was focused on the female True Sage.
“ xiǎng yào xún qiú dá àn ， hái xū yào cóng wú miàn xiān gēn dào dé xiān èr zhě shēn shàng rù shǒu 。”
“想要寻求答案，还需要从无面仙跟道德仙二者身上入手。”
Despite the chaos and moral reversal on the island, she continued to try saving everyone.
“ wú miàn xiān suī ruò ， dàn què yì zhí yǐn cáng de hěn hǎo 。 xiǎng yào zhǎo dào tā zōng jì dōu nán ， gèng bié tí huó zhuō le 。”
“无面仙虽弱，但却一直隐藏的很好。想要找到他踪迹都难，更别提活捉了。”
But her efforts were in vain due to a lack of power.
“ dǎo shì hé gān xiān …… wǒ yǐ jīng zhī xiǎo ， tā huì zài gù dìng shí jiān diǎn chū xiàn zài nà kě néng xìng zhōng 。 huò xǔ kě yǐ ， tí qián mái fú 。”
“倒是何干仙……我已经知晓，他会在固定时间点出现在那可能性中。或许可以，提前埋伏。”
He Gan did not intend to harm her directly; instead, he manipulated the black Daoist mist, turning what had been an idyllic paradise into a terrifying hell.
“ dāng rán ， zhè yī qiè de qián tí shì ， suí zhe hái zhēn de fā dòng 、 shān hǎi de zhòng zhì 。”
“当然，这一切的前提是，随着还真的发动、山海的重置。”
The female True Sage could not perceive the rampant black mist. In her eyes, those who had once been close friends now turned against each other in bitter enmity.
“ chéng shèng de dào dé zhēn xiān ， bèi dǎ huí yuán xíng le ！”
“成圣的道德真仙，被打回原形了！”
She herself became the target of everyone's attacks as the island’s ruler.
shì shí shàng ， lǐ fán duì zhè yì diǎn ， bìng bù zěn me dān xīn 。
事实上，李凡对这一点，并不怎么担心。
No matter how she tried to act morally, she would not let these people kill her without a fight.
ruò shì 【 dào dé 】 réng zài ， yǐ shèng zhě de wēi shì ， shān hǎi suī dà ， tā dìng rán yě néng dì yī shí jiān jiāng lǐ fán suǒ dìng 。
若是【道德】仍在，以圣者的威势，山海虽大，祂定然也能第一时间将李凡锁定。
So she acted.
dàn xiàn zài jù lí lǐ fán hái zhēn yǐ jīng guò qù le zhè me jiǔ ， shān hǎi réng jiù shì jìng qiāo qiāo yī piàn 。
但现在距离李凡还真已经过去了这么久，山海仍旧是静悄悄一片。
Her strength far exceeded that of the other True Sages on the island.
zhè jiù zú yǐ zhèng míng ， xiàn jiē duàn de shān hǎi ， bìng bù cún zài míng wèi 【 dào dé 】 de shèng zhě ！
这就足以证明，现阶段的山海，并不存在名为【道德】的圣者！
In the chaos, she inevitably overstepped in her actions.
“ hái zhēn de quán néng ， gèng zài shān hǎi zhī shàng 。”
“还真的权能，更在山海之上。”
Every drop of blood she touched caused her face to resemble the True Daoist Sage less and less.
“ yì huò zhě ……”
“亦或者……”
Slowly, she shed her moral appearance, reverting to her original form.
“ hái zhēn bìng fēi zhòng zhì shān hǎi 。 ér shì ……”
“还真并非重置山海。而是……”
"Two words like 'Dao' are not something you can bear."
lián xiǎng dào zì jǐ nà guān yú zhí jué de fā xiàn ， lǐ fán nèi xīn duō le gè xīn de cāi cè 。
联想到自己那关于直觉的发现，李凡内心多了个新的猜测。
He Gan's expression was desolate as black mist spread like smoke.
Faint mist-like curtains of water hung in the air, effectively shielding against the newly ascended "Dao" who was still exerting his压制.
In this vast expanse of the Daoist realm, it truly was an unprecedented feat to challenge a saint with transcendence. However, Li Heng did not become overly confident.
"The remnants of the Nine Sages' power are far greater than what I witnessed from 'Dao'. Even if I can resist 'Dao', I might not be able to withstand the combined might of the Nine Sages," he thought. "Therefore, the plan to create a saint must continue."
"But... we could simultaneously uncover the secrets of how True Daoist Sage achieved sainthood."
Li Heng left behind an ethereal shadow in the primordial Yellow World and stepped into the possibility where he had witnessed the ascension of 'Dao'.
"Both He Gan and Wu Mian should not be underestimated. We need to prepare thoroughly!"
Compared to the bleak scene Li Heng had experienced, this possibility was teeming with vitality.
The most notable difference from the original possibility was that there was no Lord Shou Qiu present. The Immortal Realm had been mostly destroyed by the initial waves of Daoian forces.
However, due to this destruction, the Immortal Realm did not face direct annihilation but survived as scattered islands amidst the vast expanse of Daoian forces.
During his interactions with Daoian forces in the past, Li Heng had long known that Daoian forces seemed to possess a unique consciousness. The stronger the resistance, the more intense their attacks became. Conversely, if there was little resistance, they would maintain a relatively calm state for an extended period before slowly consuming any remaining territory.
The remnants of various lower world seas in the original possibility were similar to this scenario but now applied to the Immortal Realm.
The Immortal Realm had been divided into numerous scattered islands. The Three Sages and the Immortal Emperor no longer existed, communication was severed, and even nameless True Sages were scarce, let alone transcendent experts.
"This possibility holds little value for He Gan," Li Heng thought. "Why would he come here to seek enlightenment?"
He Gan's method of seeking enlightenment had been clearly explained by Wu Mian: it involved using the disasters he caused to consume any lingering sense of morality within himself, ensuring that his fundamental "Dao" remained unaffected.
"The location where He Gan seeks enlightenment must have been carefully chosen," Li Heng mused. "If my guess is correct, this place holds something extremely important for both He Gan and True Daoist Sage."
However, the True Daoist Sage was not a native of this possibility.
The scattered Immortal Seas were not large, especially to a transcendent like Li Heng. Since he couldn't find any leads immediately, he decided to conduct a thorough search.
With ample time before He Gan's arrival, it took five years for Li Heng to discover something potentially related to the True Daoist Sage on an Immortal Island.
"This face is extremely similar to the newly ascended 'Dao'."
Could this be a descendant of the True Daoist Sage in this possibility?
Li Heng observed a female True Sage who was unusually rare, lacking any servants. He pondered aloud.
If the servants were not regulated under Wu Wei's governance, they had been freed from their servitude by the will of the island's ruler and now enjoyed privileges akin to those of True Sages, including access to the Infinite Sea and Mount Above.
However, none of them had achieved immortality on their own; it was all due to the female True Sage's benevolence.
In the complete Immortal Realm, only the Imperial Court controlled the connection to the Infinite Sea. But in this residual possibility, this female True Sage wielded the former Emperor's authority and freely bestowed it upon her subjects.
All could become immortals!
These beings revered her deeply but not as slaves would a master. It was simply gratitude for her kindness.
The female True Sage seemed satisfied with how she was treated by the island’s inhabitants, and they coexisted harmoniously.
It resembled an idyllic paradise free from worries.
"Li Heng inherited the name of Dao."
"But it's just a child's game," Li Heng sneered.
His gaze locked onto all True Sages on the island, instantly freezing them in place.
The inhabitants, including the female True Sage, were also frozen.
Li Heng confirmed her identity from within her mind.
She was not a descendant of the True Daoist Sage but had some connection to him.
At that time, when the world-destroying Daoian forces descended, the True Daoist Sage attempted to save lives like the original Lord Shou Qiu. However, his power was insufficient to counter such a massive force, and he perished in the Daoian onslaught.
But the True Daoist Sage's efforts were not entirely in vain; he had saved many lives, including this female True Sage.
Although most inhabitants of the scattered Immortal Seas had long forgotten about the True Daoist Sage, she did not. She even took it upon herself to become a new True Daoist Sage and changed her appearance to resemble her benefactor.
She practiced the ways of Dao!
She saved and taught others!
"But this is limited to this possibility," Li Heng thought. "It involves He Gan's enlightenment..."
He decided not to alert them and instead hid to observe secretly.
Withdrawing his gaze, the frozen True Sages on the island returned to normal, unaware of Li Heng’s presence.
They continued their lives as usual.
Li Heng remained hidden, carefully setting up and waiting patiently.
Until...
Black mist descended from the sky without warning, spreading across the entire world.
This black mist did not possess any actual destructive power; even if living beings came into contact with it, they would suffer no harm.
However, their actions and thoughts were altered.
They suddenly picked up weapons to murder those around them or turned against their benefactors in revenge!
"Great kindness is great hatred; losing virtue leads to Dao..."
In this possibility, there was no concept of cause and effect. After abandoning their duties, these beings did not face any retribution but instead seemed to gain immense strength as if they had ingested immortal elixirs.
Those who lost their sense of morality grew even stronger.
The endless slaughter spread throughout the entire possibility.
He Gan remained hidden above the scattered Immortal Seas, at the core of the black Daoist mist's flow. Li Heng could feel that most of He Gan’s attention was focused on the female True Sage.
Despite the chaos and moral reversal on the island, she continued to try saving everyone.
But her efforts were in vain due to a lack of power.
He Gan did not intend to harm her directly; instead, he manipulated the black Daoist mist, turning what had been an idyllic paradise into a terrifying hell.
The female True Sage could not perceive the rampant black mist. In her eyes, those who had once been close friends now turned against each other in bitter enmity.
She herself became the target of everyone's attacks as the island’s ruler.
No matter how she tried to act morally, she would not let these people kill her without a fight.
So she acted.
Her strength far exceeded that of the other True Sages on the island.
In the chaos, she inevitably overstepped in her actions.
Every drop of blood she touched caused her face to resemble the True Daoist Sage less and less.
Slowly, she shed her moral appearance, reverting to her original form.
"Two words like 'Dao' are not something you can bear."
He Gan's expression was desolate as black mist spread like smoke.