"A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. Keeping the Xuan Immortal Ark exposed under the enemy's surveillance at all times is by no means a wise decision."
"Exactly. Although this gray Go piece is a creation of a True Immortal, it is not worth taking such an enormous risk."
"Foolish! This set of Go pieces must conceal an enormous secret. Opportunity and danger have always gone hand in hand. How can we abandon it so easily?"
"Indeed, simply discarding it would be far too wasteful. I have an idea. Since that unknown enemy can track the location of the gray Go piece, why not use their own strategy against them? We send one elder carrying the gray Go piece to wander alone through the void while we lie in ambush nearby. Once the enemy takes the bait, we wipe them out in one stroke."
"Do not underestimate them! Elder Gan, how can you be certain that our so called ambush will not instead fall into an even greater encirclement prepared by the enemy?"
...
The elders argued fiercely, clearly divided into two opposing factions. Neither side could convince the other.
Throughout the Immortal Ark's history, whenever similar situations arose, the final decision was always made by the Chief Elder. No matter what stance anyone had previously taken, once a course of action had been decided, everyone aboard the Immortal Ark had to support and carry it out unconditionally.
This was also to prevent the Immortal Ark from splitting apart once again.
He seemed to be contemplating something. His gaze swept across everyone present before finally settling on Li Fan.
"Everyone, return and think it over carefully. We shall discuss this again tomorrow."
As the meeting concluded, Li Fan alone was asked to remain behind by Zhong Daogong.
"What? Elder Zhong intends to interrogate me privately now?" Li Fan asked with a hint of mockery.
Zhong Daogong smiled faintly, completely unconcerned.
"Fellow Daoist, please do not misunderstand. I asked you to stay because I have a favor to request."
Li Fan raised an eyebrow and became slightly more serious.
"Please speak freely, Elder Zhong."
"I heard that after being struck by the death qi storm, Fellow Daoist only has ten years of lifespan remaining?" Zhong Daogong did not immediately reveal his purpose, instead beginning with what seemed to be an unrelated question.
"Correct. Ten years is merely my estimate. In reality, it may well be even less."
"But to me, whether it is twenty years or ten years no longer matters. What concerns me is whether I can witness the scenery beyond the High Wall before I die." Li Fan let out a cold snort.
Zhong Daogong cupped his hands slightly.
"The matter I wish to entrust to Fellow Daoist is precisely related to crossing the High Wall. Before today's council convened, Elders Nangong and the other two secretly came to see me."
Li Fan's eyes instantly narrowed.
Zhong Daogong continued.
"Does Fellow Daoist know what the Immortal Ark truly relies upon to cross the High Wall?"
"Aside from the elevated section of the Great Wall of the Remnant World that we showed you before. After all, you saw it yourself that day. Although that place overlooks the Star Sea, it still lies an immeasurable distance beneath the summit of the High Wall."
"The explanation the Immortal Ark has always given me is that it intends to gather as much power from the True Immortal seal script characters as possible, then detonate it to shake the High Wall and leap across it like a fish jumping through the Dragon Gate." Li Fan narrowed his eyes.
"That explanation is indeed true. But have you ever considered this? Without some form of restraint, how could we guarantee that the Immortal Ark itself would survive the violent storm of residual True Immortal power?"
A smile appeared on Zhong Daogong's face.
"Elder Zhong means that the Immortal Ark actually possesses a method capable of controlling the residual power of a True Immortal to some extent?" Li Fan asked in surprise.
"It would not be accurate to call it control. It is more accurate to say... self preservation."
"And every use requires paying an enormous price. That is precisely why Elders Nangong and the others secretly came to see me."
Zhong Daogong's expression became rather complicated.
"What exactly is it? Could it even possess the ability to extend one's lifespan?" Li Fan became even more curious.
"It is neither an immortal artifact nor a secret treasure."
"It is the Divine Art of Equal Heaven."
A brilliant light flashed through Zhong Daogong's eyes.
"The Divine Art of Equal Heaven?"
Li Fan carefully contemplated the meaning behind those four words.
A nostalgic expression appeared on Zhong Daogong's face.
"This divine art is the crystallization of the wisdom accumulated over ten thousand years by the elders of the divided Xuan Immortal Ark."
"It is the Immortal Ark's highest secret. Its classification even surpasses that of the True Immortal seal script characters."
"The effect of the divine art is exactly as its name suggests. It lies in the word 'Equal.' Within the area covered by the divine art, for a short period of time, all living beings become equal."
"When the storm of residual True Immortal power rages, under the protection of the divine art, we become equal to immortals."
"When one person is on the verge of death, under the protection of the divine art, we equally divide our lifespans to extend our brother's life."
"The existence of this divine art is the true foundation upon which the Immortal Ark's Council of Elders has stood for ten thousand years."
Zhong Daogong spoke solemnly.
"If what Elder Zhong says is true, then this divine art is the most powerful divine ability I have ever seen in the Star Sea. But if the Divine Art of Equal Heaven is so miraculous, why not cast it directly upon the High Wall?" Li Fan asked.
Zhong Daogong smiled and shook his head.
"Leaving aside the fact that what we call the High Wall has no actual physical form and is merely the boundary confining us, even if it could be targeted, once the Divine Art of Equal Heaven is cast, so long as the effect remains active, no matter how powerful the external force is, we will always remain equal to the target."
"But to leap across the High Wall, one must surpass it. If one is merely equal to the wall, how could such a feat ever be accomplished?"
He sighed softly.
Li Fan nodded, acknowledging Zhong Daogong's explanation.
"Then what is the price of using this divine art?" Li Fan continued.
Stroking his beard, Zhong Daogong answered honestly.
"Although the Divine Art of Equal Heaven can defy the heavens, it also has its limitations."
"First, it requires a long period of careful preparation."
"Second, because its essence lies in equality, the greater the number of elders participating in the casting, the stronger its effect."
"However, the Immortal Ark has long suffered from a shortage of talented people. For all these years, the number of Council of Elders members has remained rather low. Naturally, the effectiveness of the Divine Art of Equal Heaven has been greatly reduced."
"The third point is also the most important."
"It is its side effect."
"After the state of equality ends, every person who participated in casting the Divine Art of Equal Heaven will, to a certain degree, continue to be affected by that equality."
"Specifically..."
"It manifests as certain tendencies toward convergence."
Zhong Daogong spoke quietly.
Li Fan immediately understood.
"This Divine Art of Equal Heaven also originates from a True Immortal seal script character?"
Zhong Daogong nodded.
"Correct."
"In truth, you may regard the divine art as a single True Immortal seal script character jointly written by all the elders of the Immortal Ark."
"Through the united efforts of all the elders, it comes infinitely close to being personally written by a True Immortal."
"Because it involves the very source of the Divine Art of Equal Heaven, the character 'Equal' itself has become one of the Immortal Ark's highest secrets."
"That is why it was not shown to Fellow Daoist during our previous transaction."
Li Fan smiled faintly.
"And yet Elder Zhong has now revealed everything to me without reservation."
"It seems that whatever you are about to request, I will have little choice but to agree."
Zhong Daogong waved his hand, displaying humility.
"Please do not worry unnecessarily. Faced with someone possessing an unparalleled movement technique and only a few years left to live, there is truly nothing the Immortal Ark can do."
"This is not coercion."
"It is a sincere request."
"What request? At long last, are you inviting me to join the Immortal Ark's Council of Elders?" Li Fan let out a cold snort.
"That is one of them."
"There is another request as well."
Zhong Daogong's expression remained perfectly calm.
Li Fan stared fixedly at him.
Zhong Daogong calmly cupped his hands, bowed slightly, and respectfully saluted him.
Then he slowly said,
"I ask Fellow Daoist to carry a portion of the Divine Art of Equal Heaven back to Great Qi."
"What?!"
A trace of killing intent immediately flashed through Li Fan's eyes. He abruptly rose to his feet and met Zhong Daogong's gaze directly.
"Elder Zhong, this is no joke."
"Did you not just say that only members of the Council of Elders may participate in casting the Divine Art of Equal Heaven?" Li Fan asked coldly.
"I also said that the Divine Art of Equal Heaven is, in essence, nothing more than a True Immortal seal script character jointly written by many people."
"The Immortal Ark has studied the True Immortal seal script characters for countless years. Naturally, we possess methods that allow other living beings to unknowingly participate in writing the [Equal] character."
"Even if they are located at opposite ends of the Star Sea."
"Of course, accomplishing this will require Fellow Daoist's cooperation."
"The number of Council of Elders members within the Immortal Ark is simply too small. As a result, each use of the divine art comes with consequences that are increasingly difficult to bear."
"But if Great Qi were to share part of that burden..."
Only then did Zhong Daogong finally reveal his true intentions.
Li Fan remained silent for a long time.
For a moment, the entire hall fell into complete silence.
Zhong Daogong did not press him any further. He simply waited quietly for Li Fan's reply.
Li Fan frowned deeply, his expression filled with hesitation.
"I... need some time to think it over carefully," Li Fan finally said.
Hearing this, a faint smile finally appeared on Zhong Daogong's face.
"Then, before tomorrow's council meeting, I will pay you a visit first."
Li Fan's expression remained indifferent as he turned and left.
After returning to his small courtyard and confirming that no one was watching him.
His expression did not change, but his thoughts had already begun to surge.
"The Equal Heaven Divine Art? It truly is extraordinary. No wonder it is the ultimate foundation behind the Immortal Ark's plan to cross the High Wall."
"It requires countless living beings to cast the technique together, sharing the backlash of the True Immortal seal script?"
Li Fan sneered inwardly.
"If I can see the true form of the True Immortal seal script..."
"Then why should I fear it?"
"However, the elders of the Immortal Ark possess extremely long lifespans. Even if the three unfortunate fellows, Nangong Lie and the others, are included, there is no way they would willingly share their lifespans equally with all the living beings of Great Qi civilization."
"So what exactly is the true target of this divine art?"
Although he appeared as motionless as a stone statue, Li Fan had already begun making plans in secret.
When it came to understanding the True Immortal seal script, even if the entire Council of Elders combined their knowledge, they might still not compare to Li Fan, who understood the Transformation Between Immortals and Mortals, as well as Truth and Falsehood.
"As long as I uncover the true form of the [Equality] character, I can interfere at any moment and completely overturn this divine art."
...
The next day.
Zhong Daogong arrived as promised.
"Have you reached a decision, Fellow Daoist?" Zhong Daogong asked with a smiling face.
"I can agree to your proposal. However..." Li Fan replied coldly. "When exactly will the Immortal Ark cross the High Wall?"
"I need your promise of the precise time when the operation will begin."
"I will also participate in the Equal Heaven Divine Art from beginning to end."
...
Li Fan put forward several conditions in succession.
Without the slightest hesitation, Zhong Daogong agreed to every one of them.
His decisiveness instead made Li Fan even more cautious.
"Then may Elder Zhong tell me who the true target of this Equal Heaven Divine Art is?"
"It cannot simply be to extend the lifespans of Nangong and the others, can it?" Li Fan stared intently at Zhong Daogong.
Zhong Daogong replied, "There is no need to trouble the people of Great Qi with the Equal Lifespan Art. Our Immortal Ark will bear that burden ourselves. As for the final objective..."
"Once Fellow Daoist has completed the placement of the Equal Heaven Divine Art, we will naturally tell you."
Li Fan stared at Zhong Daogong for a long time without moving.
Only after a long silence did he finally say, "Very well. I agree."
"Great Qi... may once have been my homeland."
"But why should I care if the flood comes after my death?" A trace of savagery flashed through Li Fan's eyes.
Zhong Daogong's expression remained unreadable, and he offered no response.
Li Fan did not attend the subsequent Council of Elders meeting.
Instead, he devoted himself entirely to studying the ritual of the Equal Heaven Divine Art that Zhong Daogong had given him.
Although it was called a ritual, it was actually a formation combined with the inscription ritual of the True Immortal seal script. It also seemed to incorporate a lifeform similar to the Immortal Ark's Divine Tree.
"As long as this ritual is inscribed into a world, once the divine art is activated, every living being within its range will automatically be drawn into the ritual."
"Once the arrangement is complete, our Immortal Ark will also sense it. Fellow Daoist may then return. At that time, we certainly will not break our promise."
Zhong Daogong's instructions still echoed in his ears.
Li Fan muttered quietly, "The ritual only judges the number of living beings involved. Their cultivation level is irrelevant. That certainly makes things easier for me."
"There is no need to arrange it inside the Xuanhuang Realm. Any small world with a large enough population will suffice."
Li Fan remained aboard the Immortal Ark for several more days.
Only after thoroughly understanding every aspect of the Equal Heaven Divine Art ritual did he finally depart under the hopeful gazes of everyone aboard.
The phantom Wooden Sword left its sheath, and Li Fan returned to the Xuanhuang Realm.
He arrived at a mortal world known as Great Qian.
"The Xuan Immortal Ark has drifted alone through the Star Sea for far too long. It has completely lost its sense of population size."
"Three million people already meets the target they were hoping for."
Li Fan's divine sense swept across the small world below.
"One hundred million people. Without the existence of spiritual qi, it is already remarkable that they have multiplied to such prosperity."
"I simply wonder whether exceeding the mission requirements will earn even greater rewards from the Immortal Ark."
Li Fan let out a cold laugh. He cared nothing for the Immortal Ark's promises.
He simply wished to witness how the Equal Heaven Divine Art would actually unfold.
The ritual was quietly deployed, enveloping the entire world of Great Qian.
Li Fan could vaguely sense the unease of heaven and earth.
Heavy storm clouds began gathering in the sky, only to be scattered with a single glance from Li Fan.
The resistance of the small world was insignificant beneath his suppression.
The ritual was completed very quickly.
The faint ripple of energy flowing through the ritual like a gentle breeze seemed to indicate that the Immortal Ark at the edge of the Star Sea had already received confirmation.
Li Fan, however, did not return immediately.
Instead, he first traveled to Great Xuan.
The four gray Go pieces recovered by Yin Shangren and Hundred Flowers rested quietly upon the Dao Lecture Platform.
"Holy Teacher."
Upon seeing Li Fan return, they both bowed slightly.
Then they followed Li Fan as their gazes settled upon the four objects of different shapes.
Li Fan waved his hand gently.
Under the crushing force of spiritual power, all four objects shattered layer by layer.
They were compressed and ground into their most fundamental particles.
Finally, their true forms were revealed.
Four completely identical Go pieces floated into the air, attracting one another as they continuously revolved in circles.