Chapter 1959 - 1955: Shen Biancheng’s Persuasion
Ye Fan couldn’t restore Tantai Wanrong to her original state. Although Tantai Wanrong had awakened, she still appeared by Ye Fan’s side in a dazed manner, making Ye Fan realize that saving Tantai Wanrong was not easy. The only way now seemed to be finding a solution to cope with Heaven’s Catastrophe.
Without finding any clues in Taining, he decided to return to the Pangu Secret Realm. This time, he went to a very special place within the Pangu Secret Realm, located at the Li Huo Sect’s base, Heavenly Peak Mountain.
Ye Fan had visited Heavenly Peak Mountain many times before, always seeking the Divine Artifact for ultimately saving humanity, but he hadn’t found any clues despite so many visits. As far as he knew, even Pan Gu and Fu Xi hadn’t discovered anything.
This time, Ye Fan felt that his cultivation had improved significantly, and it was time to detect the truth. Upon arriving at Heavenly Peak Mountain, he climbed to the summit, which was also the shrine of the Li Huo Sect.
Heavenly Peak Mountain was no longer as it used to be. Here, there was no Evil Spirit Banner nor any trace of the Li Huo Sect. When Ye Fan arrived, a person was already standing in front of the sect’s ruined shrine, which had become a crumbling ruin.
This person was not a high-level cultivator; he was Ye Fan’s third senior brother, Shen Biancheng.
"Senior brother, what are you doing here? I thought... you were out traveling," Ye Fan was somewhat surprised to see Shen Biancheng. He had kept Shen Biancheng and Bai He in Bian Cheng because he knew his goal was to save Heaven’s Catastrophe, while Shen Biancheng aimed to revive the Li Huo Sect. Their goals had diverged, and Ye Fan couldn’t interfere with Shen Biancheng’s choices nor help him achieve them.
To Ye Fan, the strength of a sect couldn’t save humanity. Ye Fan’s thoughts had transcended sect boundaries; he wished to save Heaven’s Catastrophe as an ordinary human, not revitalizing sect issues.
Shen Biancheng looked at Ye Fan and said, "Junior brother, you should know that since the master fell asleep, our Li Huo Sect has almost ceased to exist. Originally, our cultivation was about to be lost, but then you appeared. Your cultivation has reached an unattainable level for humans, and even those ancient cultivators look at you differently..."
"So what?" Ye Fan didn’t understand why Shen Biancheng was so sentimental.
Shen Biancheng sighed, "Your ultimate destiny hasn’t changed; you’ve always sought ways to save humanity. But I’m telling you, your mission is to revive the Li Huo Sect. Other matters are irrelevant to you, and saving Heaven’s Catastrophe isn’t your responsibility. Can you understand what I’m saying?"
Ye Fan shook his head and said, "If humans cease to exist and Heaven’s Catastrophe destroys the world, what’s the point of the Li Huo Sect existing? Third brother, you sound like you’re drunk, speaking nonsense here today."
"I’m not joking, junior brother. There’s something you must know. Our master will never wake up; his soul has already left this world, and his purpose in coming here has been fulfilled: finding you and completing his mission!" Shen Biancheng said.
Ye Fan furrowed his brows and asked, "What do you mean?"
"The master never mentioned it, but I know a secret—that is the Li Huo Sect’s secret. Li Huo Sect has never been a conventional sect cultivating Spiritual Energy. The existence of Spiritual Energy is merely a barrier for certain mysterious forces. What you cultivate is also the elemental power passed down from the Li Huo Sect..." Shen Biancheng constantly watched Ye Fan’s reaction as he spoke.
Ye Fan said, "Are you saying that even my cultivation of elemental power belongs to the Li Huo Sect? Everything I do is under their control, is it?"
"I won’t hide anything from you. Over the past years, the master sought you to find a person to revive the Li Huo Sect, and its real purpose is to change the occurrence of Heaven’s Catastrophe," Shen Biancheng said. "You may feel my words contradict, but think carefully: isn’t everything within you due to the Li Huo Sect’s cultivation power? Li Huo Sect is not an ordinary sect within the Pangu Secret Realm, but originates from a power beyond the cosmos..."
Ye Fan’s expression deepened, and he said, "Senior brother, you seem really drunk. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear your words; you can leave."
"Do you know where Bai He and I disappeared to?" Shen Biancheng said. "It’s the space of elemental power, the space of the dead. I didn’t want to tell you because I felt your obsession was too strong. You wish to save and change the world, seeking a peaceful life, but your mission dictates that you must complete it all... Heaven’s Catastrophe aims to destroy ancient cultivators, unrelated to ordinary humans. If humans don’t cultivate, they won’t be affected by this catastrophe."
Ye Fan sneered and said, "Senior brother, do you think I’ll believe your words? I’ve already seen the catastrophic aftermath of Heaven’s Catastrophe gathering strength, which will be the destruction of the universe. Yet, you say it has no effect on humans?"
"Indeed, there’s no effect. You must trust me. If you still don’t believe, time will prove it. Anything I say now, you won’t listen to. But know that you don’t need to save Heaven’s Catastrophe, because it won’t harm you..." Shen Biancheng seemed to persuade Ye Fan.
But Ye Fan didn’t intend to listen any longer, directly using elemental power to temporarily imprison Shen Biancheng.
"I know you can still hear me." Shen Biancheng said finally, "Ye Fan, only by cooperating with Heaven’s Catastrophe can you truly save Earth. As for others’ lives and deaths, do they matter to you? Pan Gu and Fu Xi are destined to die, and their deaths won’t affect you. Why help them? And those lives beyond Earth, you don’t need to..."
Before Shen Biancheng could finish, Ye Fan severed their communication entirely.
After imprisoning Shen Biancheng, Ye Fan stood alone on Heavenly Peak Mountain, using his now formidable Spiritual Sense to probe Heavenly Peak Mountain. As before, it still yielded no results.