Chapter 2309: Chapter 2309 - 1728: The Years of Mountain Sea

"Daoist Stealing Mechanism, have you noticed something amiss?" Li Fan asked knowingly.

"Indeed, there is something peculiar. Just a moment ago, I... felt as though another ’Stealing Mechanism’ Saint had descended between the mountains and seas." After hesitating for a moment, the Stealing Mechanism Saint spoke softly.

"Two paths established on the same day, present between the mountains and seas. I only felt my foundation wavering, as if it was being taken away by the other. At the same time, I felt both fear and greed rising within my heart..."

"That feeling, unprecedented!" Stealing Mechanism said with a worried expression.

"Hmm? Such a thing exists?" Li Fan was taken aback.

He immediately furrowed his brows deeply: "How is this possible? You became a Saint through ’Stealing,’ one path cannot harbor two masters, how could another exist between the mountains and seas... Hmm?"

As he said this, Li Fan seemed to suddenly remember something, and his words abruptly stopped.

Stealing Mechanism instantly noticed Li Fan’s unusual reaction and hurriedly asked, "Daoist, did you recall something?"

Li Fan hesitated several times before continuing: "The strange change that occurred to you does have a traceable pattern. However..."

Glancing at Lord Guardian Hill nearby, Li Fan slowly said, "It involves another’s secrets, so it’s hard to speak directly. Don’t rush, let me ask first."

"Then I thank you in advance, Daoist!" Stealing Mechanism said solemnly.

Pretending to commune for a while.

After a considerable amount of time, Li Fan transmitted to Stealing Mechanism, speaking slowly: "Daoist must know, Lord Guardian Hill became a Saint upon obtaining a fragment of the ’Longevity’ Tao..."

Stealing Mechanism was sharp after all, and with just a hint from Li Fan, he quickly understood.

"Do you mean that Lord Guardian Hill had once experienced the same feeling as me?"

"Even more severe than yours. Lord Guardian Hill claimed that he is not the true Master of Eternal Life, but merely fortunate enough to obtain one fragment. However, that true Master of Eternal Life did not exist in the time of Lord Guardian Hill, but only at the very beginning of the mountains and seas. Just like those numerous strongmen of that era."

"They, in order to avoid the path-obliterating calamity, performed the ’Slice the Future’ divine technique. Thus, they remained permanently in the past. Barring special circumstances, they would never step into the mid-to-late mountains and seas. That ’Suo’ came from the very beginning of the mountains and seas, and hurriedly left after exposing themselves..."

"Before leaving, they seemed both urgent and angry. Coupled with the Daoist’s sensed presence of another belonging to Stealing Mechanism."

Bringing all these conditions together, Li Fan provided the answer: "Could it be that the one who descended then was the Ancient Saint, master of Stealing Mechanism, at the beginning of the mountains and seas?"

Without needing Li Fan to say so, Stealing Mechanism himself had already felt a shiver down his spine, realizing this possibility.

Instinctively finding it incredible, but his fleeting feeling was undeniably correct.

"Is it truly possible there exists another entity mastering ’Stealing Mechanism’ between the mountains and seas?"

"Have I not fully mastered the Stealing Mechanism Tao?"

"Born at the very beginning of the mountains and seas, their foundation must be deeper than mine. And with those emotions that spontaneously arose within me..."

"Could this person’s Creation be greater than mine?"

Stealing Mechanism fell into deep self-doubt.

Following this, Stealing Mechanism seemed somewhat distracted.

Until he managed to divide his thoughts again, inhabiting the body of a fortunate living being within the mountains and seas, he finally collected himself.

Once more, through the mountain and sea veins, he saw all the saints gathered.

Among them were Mountain Lian, Gui Hai, Taiyi, Gui Ming, Duan Chen, Guardian Hill, and other early mountain and sea saints.

There were also more than a dozen like Stealing Mechanism, who, although not saints on the surface, were actually incarnates of later mountain and sea saints.

Originally, Stealing Mechanism was already mentally unsettled, and when he suddenly saw the mountain and sea ahead and his own absence, he was more shaken.

Although he had already learned from Li Fan about the brutal state of the war in the mountain and sea ahead, with only six saints surviving, Stealing Mechanism, confident in his own strength, was convinced he was definitely one of the surviving six saints.

But upon arrival, he saw his own seat was empty!

This unsettled him even more: "Those far weaker than me survived. Does this not indicate something in the depths of fate?"

Fortunately, he was only a mortal incarnate, having forcefully traversed through the mountain and sea veins, so for the moment, the other saints did not notice the anomaly in Stealing Mechanism’s heart.

They were simply discussing the grand plan to reconnect the mountains and seas.

"Daoist Zhouhui is searching the mountains and inspecting the seas, seeking talents of potential. In later times, talent is abundant, but in this era, they are exceedingly scarce. Yet the Void Realm is becoming increasingly fierce..."

"Though we have gathered, we must not be careless," Sea Return Saint sighed.

Who knows what cruel battles they had endured, but the three saints of this time period were less arrogant, more cautious and prepared.

Before the mountains and seas were officially connected, though they were the same person, they had slightly different personalities due to different encounters.

The incarnates of the three saints did not overshadow the originals, instead, they remained centered on the three saints of this era.

All nodded in agreement.

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy for a moment, until Saint Lianshan spoke again: "Fortunately, if we survive this calamity, the mountains and seas ahead are clear as far as the eye can see! If we successfully reconnect this time, the next thirty million years of mountain and sea will face no obstacle from anyone."

Hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope.

Through successive reunions, they were already aware of the benefits.

And the fragments of the mountains and seas so far added up to less than a million years.

Now, Saint Lianshan claimed that ahead there awaited thirty million more years of vast mountain and sea time.

If they truly manage to connect them all, how much would their power swell?

For a moment, all the saints were lost in contemplation.

Even the somewhat distracted Stealing Mechanism was invigorated by this.

"Indeed, hiding in the beginning of the mountains and seas, their power is already fixed. But I, going against the stream, will unite all my past selves. The true belonging of the Stealing Mechanism is yet unknown!"

...

Li Fan suddenly asked, "May I ask the three saints, how many years ago is the so-called beginning of the mountains and seas? How long will this reconnection last?"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sudden silence within the Xuanzhen Circle.

Not only those present, even the transcendental cultivators between the mountains and seas knew of the long ages of the mountains and seas.

Measuring steps, it seems romantic. But truly executing it...

In addition, every section was met with obliteration by the Dao, and interference by the Void Realm.

Far beyond the words "extremely difficult" can encompass.

In the past, the three saints never spoke specifics, only blurring the detailed years.

With the influence of the Xuanzhen Circle and the saints’ intention to avoid, they chose to ignore this question.

Now, when Li Fan pointed it out, the saints present had no choice but to confront it.

How long does the life of the mountain and sea span?

Apart from the three saints, nobody present knew the answer.

Guardian Hill, possessing longevity, was already one of the longest-lived among the saints.

However, even in front of the three saints, he could only consider himself young.

Even Guardian Hill had no accurate answer to this question.

The saints had no choice but to focus their gaze on the three saints.

It was clear that the three saints truly did not wish to answer this question.

A long silence ensued within the Xuanzhen Circle.

It was the godly incarnation from the future that finally spoke, breaking the stillness.

"Since Daoist Zhouhui has asked, let us speak then."