Chapter 1171-1175 (6k+ words)

"However, the Essence of Origin you gave me seems to be... more advanced?"

"Even with your extensive vocabulary, you're struggling to describe it," Baihua Daoist cautiously inquires.

Li Ping naturally won't reveal to Baihua that the reason this Essence of Origin is far superior to ordinary cultivation is due to his attempt to use the power of sentient beings' beliefs to elevate it to Essence of Origin.

However, all current attempts have ended in failure.

After all, even the existence abandoned by true immortals is a power beyond the mundane and not easily controlled.

"It's just an illusion, friend. How's your recovery? It's almost complete; let's hit the road." Li Ping says casually.

Baihua Daoist awkwardly smiles. With no other choice, she sighs and bids farewell, ensuring the absolute safety of the main camp before considering the conquest of other small worlds.

Knowing the precise locations of each small world, she can even infiltrate them directly, moving their entrances to the void near Great Opening.

Spirit Wood, the Empire...

And the Hidden Realm.

While Holy Emperor Li Ping ponders the future of the Holy Dynasty upon returning to his throne, his disciple, Sun Erlang, seeks an audience.

"Uh, Master. The item I fished up from the Fishing Pool earlier..."

"But it's fine."

Sun Erlang then explains the situation. Since the last fishing competition, most of the rewarded anglers have been absorbed by various institutions of the Holy Dynasty.

One of them, a middle-aged man named Quan Ruochu, was taken under Sun Erlang's wing. He fished up a white light cluster from the pool.

At the time, Li Ping personally examined it, confirming it to be a common object called the "Obscure Orchid." Thus, he didn't pay much attention.

But now, according to Sun Erlang, this seemingly ordinary Orchid, at most at the Elemental Infant level, displayed completely irrational abilities after Quan Ruochu carefully cultivated it for some time.

"Quan Ruochu, despite reaching middle age, has achieved nothing. His parents have passed away, and he has no wife or offspring. Throughout his life, his only loves were fishing and cultivating flowers. So, when he fished up the white light cluster, he wasn't too disheartened. He even favored this Obscure Orchid more than other treasures."

"I initially thought this Obscure Orchid, like ordinary flowers, would grow in soil and be nourished by spiritual energy. However, after Quan Ruochu planted it, no matter how carefully he tended to it, it always appeared feeble and on the verge of withering. Nonetheless, Quan Ruochu, who loves flowers dearly, did something unimaginable to save this Obscure Orchid."

Sun Erlang bows his head and lowly recounts the tale for the Holy Emperor.

"He actually planted the Obscure Orchid on his own body! Using his own flesh as soil, nourishing it with his blood..."

"But after a few days, he transformed from a still quite vigorous man into a skeletal figure, with his life hanging by a thread! Yet, he hasn't given up and still intends to infuse it with his last drop of blood."

"I haven't seen him for a few days. When I went to look for him, the scene I witnessed was like this."

Sun Erlang's voice is low: "I originally wanted to directly remove this demonic flower. However, Quan Ruochu, with his own life at stake, compelled me, saying that if the flower perishes, he'll die as well..."

"Considering that this is a treasure bestowed by the Master, I hesitated and didn't act immediately. But watching Quan Ruochu's body gradually weaken, nearing death, I couldn't just stand by any longer."

In the instant Sun Erlang speaks, Li Ping has already locked onto Quan Ruochu's location and carefully examines his internal condition.

After all, it's just a blue light cluster with nothing particularly mystical about it. A quick glance is enough.

Once Sun Erlang finishes, Li Ping shakes his head, speaking with a stern tone.

"Erlang, you've disappointed me."

Sun Erlang's body trembles slightly, and he lowers his head even further. 

"For a leader, one should command the entire army, not be swayed by personal emotions, not even for a small fraction of dozens or even hundreds."

"After joining my sect, is this the first time you've actively sought an audience with me? And it's just for this matter?"

After a long silence, Sun Erlang speaks with a bitter voice, "Master, you see it clearly. Perhaps if it were an instant death, I might remain indifferent. But watching someone familiar slowly being drained of life, withering away, it's truly unsettling for me."

"I hope Master will punish me."

Li Ping's voice, thundering like divine thunder from the heavens, echoes in the Holy Emperor's seat.

"The reason I am disappointed in you is not just because of your indecision but also because you fail to distinguish right from wrong. Demonic flower..."

"Go back and take another look!"

Li Ping waves his hand, expelling Sun Erlang.

Sun Erlang first feels a tightness in his chest, but then, as if understanding something, he hurriedly rushes to Quan Ruochu's residence.

Guided by the Master's hint, after careful observation, Sun Erlang finally discovers the mystery of the Obscure Orchid.

Although it appears that the Obscure Orchid is constantly devouring Quan Ruochu's essence, at the same time, it differentiates a magical force, keeping Quan Ruochu's life fire from extinguishing.

In this state of near-death, the Obscure Orchid thrives and grows.

At the same time, Quan Ruochu undergoes a gradual and thorough transformation.

"All of his vitality is connected to this Obscure Orchid. If I rashly severed it, the result would be the death of both flower and man. I almost made a huge mistake!" Sun Erlang can't help but feel a sense of lingering fear.

He seals the entrance, not allowing anyone to disturb. Simultaneously, he moves a miniature Heavenly Stove nearby to ensure a high concentration of spiritual energy.

After completing all of this, Sun Erlang finally breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thanks to the Master's guidance," he expresses his gratitude.

However, Sun Erlang is unaware that the Obscure Orchid did indeed aid Quan Ruochu in preserving a thread of life.

But it's not out of gratitude for his cultivation; it's just a survival instinct until it finds a new host.

As for Quan Ruochu, with only Qi refining cultivation, he cannot withstand the unrestrained absorption of the Obscure Orchid and is bound to die unless external help arrives.

And the reason he seems to be in better spirits is purely because Holy Emperor Li Ping lent a helping hand.

"Right or wrong, good or evil."

"Until reaching the final outcome, no one can make a correct evaluation."

"Only step by step, reaching the end, can one vindicate oneself."

"The process... is not important."

Sitting on the Holy Emperor's throne, Li Ping's thoughts fluctuate slightly.

...

In an endless white mist, within one of the realms.

"How... how many frozen corpses are there here?"

Brought into the Life-and-Death Reversal Array by the Holy Embryo Li Fan, Shang Shaojun, witnessing the shocking scene, exclaims in astonishment.

As the leader of the Qingxuan Army, Shang Shaojun has suppressed and dominated the abyss for a hundred years. Even when facing the terrifying world-destroying magic sound tide, he remains calm and composed.

But now, he truly feels a fear that he hasn't experienced in a long time.

The number of dead cultivators in this frozen sea is simply too high.

Shang Shaojun can't imagine where these cultivators come from. It's likely that the number of buried cultivators here is greater than the entire Xuanhuang Realm!

Even the Holy Embryo Li Fan pretends to be shocked by the scene, trembling slightly with a look of horror on his face.

"Shaojun, don't act recklessly; be cautious," he says after a while, calming Shang Shaojun.

Shang Shaojun's face remains unpleasant, frequently scanning his surroundings as if there are unknown enemies lurking.

"There's something off here. Have you heard any sounds?" Shang Shaojun asks through voice transmission.

"Sounds? What sounds?" Li Fan is somewhat puzzled, and this is not an act.

Shang Shaojun's face darkens, "Perhaps it's because I've been in the abyss for too long, I'm more sensitive to any sounds. Since I arrived in this realm, I've been hearing a faint whisper. It comes and goes. Haven't you heard it?"

Li Fan squints his eyes.

This isn't his first time here.

He has guided various cultivators to this place before.

However, no one, like Shang Shaojun, has been able to hear inexplicable sounds in the silent and frozen sea.

With different thoughts in his mind, Li Fan solemnly says, "How does Shaojun see it? This place is definitely related to a great secret. But equally, if we want to delve into it, we will definitely face enormous risks. Should we leave quietly while we're not discovered, or should we investigate?"

Shang Shaojun doesn't answer immediately. Instead, he moves his ears, seemingly distinguishing the sounds he heard.

After a while, he explains through voice transmission, "Brother Li, follow me. I have a premonition that retracing the source of these sounds might unravel some mysteries of this place."

Li Fan nods slightly, his sword shadow unsheathed, guarding the two of them.

"Be cautious."

The two navigate through the endless frozen sea.

Li Fan is already well aware of the overall structure of the Life-and-Death Reversal Array. However, pretending that it's his first time here, he doesn't expose Shang Shaojun, who seems to be turning in place within the formation.

He just follows silently.

But as Shang Shaojun persistently advances in a certain direction, Li Fan also notices subtle changes in the surroundings.

Even the analysis of the Terminal Disintegration Disc was ignored before, being overlooked by him!

"In the array, there's still this hidden change? Truly worthy of being an array capable of attaining eternal life," Li Fan is amazed in his heart.

They continue forward.

As if standing still, the coffins in the dead sea around them rotate, creating a mesmerizing sight.

The deeper they go, the faster the surrounding scenery rotates.

"Brother Li, be careful. It seems the source of the sound is just ahead!" Shang Shaojun's voice is somewhat nervous.

As if passing through a long and narrow time-space tunnel, the surroundings turn into overlapping lines due to rapid movement.

Upon breaking through the end of the tunnel, countless circles converge into one point.

Then, it explosively opens up in their vision.

A sudden clarity.

However, the air around them becomes even colder.

Even Shang Shaojun and Li Fan feel somewhat stiffened by the freezing cold.

"Exhale..."

Activating their spiritual energy, they try to dispel the piercing cold.

The two carefully observe their surroundings.

Inside the silvery-white light sphere, besides seeing some vague boundaries, there is nothing here.

Looking back in the direction they came from, what they see makes their pupils suddenly contract.

Resembling yin-yang fish, rotating orbs float quietly in the air.

From the dark part of these orbs, Li Fan can vaguely sense the aura of the previously silent and frozen sea.

And inside these white light orbs, there are a total of eight similar yin-yang orbs!

Nine in total, forming a special pattern.

Shang Shaojun struggled to swallow his saliva.

Just one of the yin-yang orbs contained an endless number of deceased inside.

If this number is multiplied by nine...

The two exchanged glances, both discerning the fear in each other's hearts.

They even became more cautious in their voice transmissions, afraid of disturbing the nine yin-yang orbs here.

"Shaojun, about the sound you heard earlier..."

"Gone. As soon as we entered here, it suddenly stopped, mysteriously disappeared. Wait..." Shang Shaojun suddenly paused, turning his head to look in the opposite direction of the yin-yang orbs.

Li Fan followed his gaze but saw nothing.

"Be careful."

Shang Shaojun gave a cautious reminder and fell silent.

His body stiffened, unmoving. His breath became extremely weak.

It was at this moment that Li Fan sensed something intangible descending into this space.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Although there were no specific sounds, the heavy footsteps resonated in Li Fan's heart.

Getting closer.

The intruders were completely ignored, and the unseen entity went straight to the vicinity of the nine yin-yang orbs.

Exhale...

A soft sound of breath.

The space near the yin-yang orbs exhibited distorted fluctuations.

As if boiling in hot water, the yin-yang sections on the nine small spheres rotated around each other, becoming more distinct.

Shang Shaojun and Li Fan clearly saw that with the unknown entity's breath, wisps of frozen corpses seemed to enter the nine yin-yang orbs.

The entire mysterious process didn't last long.

The oppressive footsteps gradually faded away, and the silver-white space here slowly returned to normal.

The nine yin-yang orbs also settled and became calm again.

After a long time, the two began to communicate through voice transmission.

"What was that just now?"

"A sense of crisis, like needles spreading throughout the body, and a crazy warning from the spiritual perception. It feels like a major disaster could strike at any moment... This kind of feeling, even the Eternal Heavenly Venerable might not be able to bring about, right?"

After a few short sentences, the two fell into an extremely oppressive silence.

"The sound I heard just now should be the echo of the unknown entity's footsteps in this space." Shang Shaojun speculated, "Even though it has left, the lingering sound remains."

"The countless frozen dead bodies in the yin-yang orbs seem to be the handiwork of that thing. But I still can't understand where it got so many corpses. Also, what could be beyond this silver-white space?"

These various questions, Li Fan couldn't answer.

Originally, they thought this place was just the dojo of the Transcendent Heavenly Venerable. Unexpectedly, in this life, they stumbled upon even deeper secrets hidden behind it.

Before this, regarding the countless corpses in the "Reverse Life and Death Grand Array," Li Fan had always been puzzled.

There were too many unexplainable aspects.

Firstly, the number was just too vast, and secondly...

The preservation condition of all the corpses was relatively intact.

It wasn't like what was left behind during the Great Cataclysm, the world's destruction.

"I initially speculated that the Transcendent Heavenly Venerable might be a pseudonym for the Heavenly Doctor, but now..."

Recalling the horrifying invisible creature from just now, Li Fan couldn't help but question his own judgment.

"What's the connection between that creature and the Transcendent Heavenly Venerable?"

Li Fan had seen the Transcendent Heavenly Venerable before.

In the 119th era, a white misty figure suddenly appeared, instantly killing three transmission disciples.

However, the matter was dropped after Transmission Heavenly Venerable intervened.

"Transmission, Heavenly Doctor, Transcendent. There must be some kind of connection among these three."

"But that invisible creature just now..."

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Saintly Li Fan's mind.

"Li Xiong, for safety's sake, let's leave this place first." Shang Shaojun's words interrupted his contemplation.

The two returned along the same path and re-entered the yin-yang orbs.

However, this time, they appeared directly above the sea of life, opposite to the dead sea.

Moreover, the wind over the ocean blew uniformly toward the exit of the maze.

"Is this... a sign to leave?"

The two exchanged glances, feeling surprised again.

However, they didn't dare to stay here any longer and hurriedly left through the exit.

"Phew." After leaving the life-and-death maze and returning to the white mist, Shang Shaojun didn't feel the relief of a narrow escape.

Instead, he became somewhat depressed. "There are too many secrets hidden in the Xuan Huang Realm."

"The invisible existence we just encountered definitely surpasses that mysterious person who remodeled the world. Even if the Venerable returns, can he really eliminate everything?"

Having witnessed too many things beyond his understanding in a short period, Shang Shaojun suddenly felt a bit lost.

Li Fan immediately changed the topic. "Regarding that invisible existence, how does Shaojun view it?"

"It doesn't seem like a cultivator. Otherwise, it wouldn't have ignored us. It seems more like something tasked with a specific mission..."

"Monster?" Shang Shaojun struggled to find this adjective.

"But even if it's a monster, it's an absolutely overwhelming existence for us." He mocked himself. "I've been suppressing the abyss for hundreds of years, having achieved great accomplishments in my cultivation. I considered myself unrivaled under the heavens. Little did I expect that following Li Xiong on a journey for just over a year would expose me to such terrifying beings. It makes me realize how narrow my previous perspective was."

Li Fan consoled him. "It's not that Shaojun isn't strong. It's just that these old monsters are too well-hidden."

After pondering for a moment, Saintly Li Fan asked, "Shaojun, do you feel a bit disheartened?"

"Not at all. There's a saying, 'When a country is about to perish, there will be demons.' The more chaos there is, the more it indicates that the Xuan Huang Realm is seriously ill." After a slight dip in his mood, Shang Shaojun suddenly became impassioned again.

"However, with our strength, it's a bit difficult to change everything."

"We need help." Shang Shaojun said seriously.

"I had this intention before. However, finding someone trustworthy with sufficient abilities is challenging..." Saintly Li Fan sighed.

Shang Shaojun looked determinedly beyond the white mist. "Come. Let's go back first. During this journey, we've at least gathered some evidence. We should have a seventy percent chance of convincing them."

While flying in the white mist, Shang Shaojun introduced some potential allies to Li Fan.

"The First Sage, I don't know if Li Xiong has heard of this person?"

"Although he's currently only at Nascent Divinity cultivation, his strength is by no means inferior to mine. Proficient in all arts, martial skills complete, and well-versed in various knowledge. He's truly an outstanding talent in the Xuan Huang Realm. More importantly, this person is absolutely loyal to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance! If we can persuade him to join us, there might even be some unexpected surprises."

"There's another person, named Ji Hongdao. He's an extremely rare genius in formations in the current era. If not for his weaker qualifications and background, I believe he could contend for the position of Chief of the Formation Hall in the Immortal Alliance! Besides formations, he's also proficient in the art of refining..."

Shang Shaojun spoke endlessly, listing one familiar name after another, all of whom Li Fan knew well.

"Oh, there's actually one more person, perhaps worth considering. However..." Shang Shaojun hesitated.

"But this person has an extraordinary background. Involving him could be troublesome as it runs deep, and bringing him in might not be a good thing."

Without keeping him in suspense, Shang Shaojun continued, "Though he appears to be nothing more than a mischievous child, he's terrifyingly strong in actual combat. Even someone at the Unity Realm like me might not be able to force out his full strength. However, his consciousness isn't very clear; as soon as he sees someone, he wants to challenge them..."

Li Fan instantly understood who Shang Shaojun was talking about.

Presumably, it was Wu Chi'er, the reincarnation of Senior Zhan Qianmo.

Li Fan had previously used the high-level privileges of the Tianxuan Mirror Source to search for information about Wu Chi'er.

Internally, the Immortal Alliance judged him as the soul of heaven and earth reincarnated into human form.

Although he had a human body, his behavior, residence, and way of thinking were not like a human's.

Instead, he seemed more like a concrete manifestation of the rules of the soul of heaven and earth.

Wu Chi'er was not invincible in battles, but his learning ability was terrifying.

Any moves used against him in a fight would immediately be learned by him.

The Immortal Alliance had tried to capture him and study him carefully.

However, he repeatedly disappeared in plain sight and strict supervision, only to reappear thousands of miles away.

Moreover, he had no memory of the previous capture, and the Immortal Alliance even sent several Unity Realm experts to kill him.

Wu Chi'er's body disappeared without a trace.

But not long after, he appeared alive in the world again.

He even learned some magical abilities from those Unity Realm experts.

Considering his unique abilities, and the fact that he only sought peaceful sparring with people without causing harm to the safety of the Immortal Alliance, the Immortal Alliance headquarters decided to simply monitor him strictly without intervening further.

Li Fan speculated that Wu Chi'er's extraordinary abilities might be related to Senior Zhan Qianmo's Grand Vow Dharmakaya.

The Grand Vow Dharmakaya merged with the heavens and the earth, almost equivalent to a part of the laws of the heavens and the earth.

Mistaking him for the soul of heaven and earth was not surprising.

As for whether Wu Chi'er was related to Senior Zhan Qianmo...

The two extremely similar faces explained everything.

"Shaojun, there's no need to worry too much. We should welcome all who come. After all, if what we want to do fails..."

"I'm afraid the Immortal Alliance won't have a place for us in the future." Saintly Li Fan said with a smile.

Shang Shaojun was initially slightly stunned, then nodded.

"Then let's visit them one by one!"

"Shaojun, is this First Jinglun from the 'Era'?" 

On the way to the Immortal Alliance's Tian Shu Zhou, Saintly Li Fan asked the question he had long suspected.

Shang Shaojun paused, seemingly unsurprised that Li Fan was aware of the Immortal Alliance's secrets related to the 'Era.'

He answered in a low voice, "Yes and no."

"As far as I know, the Immortal Alliance did cultivate a group of dead soldiers from the 'Era.' However, those people are ultimately not born and nurtured in the Xuan Huang Realm. They lack a bit of spirituality."

"While they can display astonishing talents during the simulation in the 'Era,' their actual performance in the Xuan Huang Realm falls short. They are suitable as cannon fodder for fearlessness in death, but they are not fit for significant responsibilities." Shang Shaojun shook his head slightly.

"However, later on, the Immortal Alliance found a way to improve. Li Xiong, do you know that each transmitter has their own exclusive small world?"

Li Fan replied, "I've heard something about it."

"Each transmitter allocates a portion of their own small world to collectively form a 'Honghuang Great Realm.' It is said to be a truly cruel and chaotic world where every hundred years, a thorough cleansing is conducted on the creatures within. Only those who receive collective praise from the transmitters during the century are spared."

"Li Xiong, you should know that the beings in the 'Honghuang Great Realm' are either carefully selected consciousnesses from the 'Era' or peerless geniuses from the small worlds of each transmitter. To stand out in such an environment... their abilities can be imagined."

Shang Shaojun spoke solemnly, "That's the background of the First Jinglun."

"From the 'Era' to the 'Honghuang Great Realm,' First Jinglun stepped out step by step, finally gaining the attention of the transmitters. They used the treasures left by the Celestial Lord to reshape his body. Even because of the deep trust he earned, he was allowed, as an exception, not to erase his previous memories. Although he currently doesn't hold any specific position in the Immortal Alliance, no one dares to underestimate him."

"So, this First Jinglun is truly a bit legendary." Saintly Li Fan sighed after hearing Shang Shaojun's introduction.

However, he then expressed some confusion, "Such a figure, are we just going to visit him like this? Shaojun, aren't you afraid of being directly bound and sent to the transmitters by him?"

Shang Shaojun laughed heartily, "Li Xiong, you worry too much. Not to mention that I ventured together with First Jinglun in the past, and our relationship is good. The reason First Jinglun is trusted by the transmitters is because he has been imprinted with loyalty to the Immortal Alliance in the depths of his soul since his creation. The more experiences and strength he gains, the deeper this imprint becomes."

"This is what he personally said. He doesn't care about it and even sees it as a great honor. Everything we do is for the Immortal Alliance, isn't it? If he learns that the Immortal Alliance is secretly harboring many conspiracies, he will certainly not choose to ignore it. With his temperament, he might even personally come to verify what we say." Shang Shaojun appeared confident.

However, things didn't go as smoothly as expected.

"What? First Jinglun is not here?"

"We had an appointment beforehand!"

Outside the Jinglun Mansion, Shang Shaojun and Li Fan were stopped.

Shang Shaojun's face looked unsightly, and the imposing pressure of a Unity Realm cultivator surged.

Although the two guards at the door had pale faces, they could still maintain their composure, explaining, "My lord, please forgive us. Our master suddenly received a secret order from the Immortal Alliance and left in a hurry. The matter was urgent, so there wasn't even time to inform anyone..."

Shang Shaojun attempted to contact First Jinglun again with a communication talisman, but there was no response.

After exchanging a glance with Li Fan, knowing that forcing the issue would be futile, he could only snort and give up.

"I think it's not that First Jinglun deliberately avoided us; there must be something urgent." Li Fan whispered.

"Right. I know First Jinglun's personality well. He wouldn't pretend to evade. But I wonder what happened in the Immortal Alliance; if First Jinglun was urgently called, this matter is not small." Shang Shaojun muttered.

The first target failed, and the two decided to change course and go to find Ji Hongdao in Tian Yu Zhou.

However, they didn't expect that Ji Hongdao had also been reassigned.

The two looked at each other, directly interrupting their almost continuous search for people.

"Something's not right. Let me inquire about it." Shang Shaojun frowned.

Meanwhile, on Li Fan's side, his hidden divine consciousness in the Infinite Mirror had quietly taken action.

He discreetly stole a Tianxuan small mirror from the Sun family and activated the Infinite Mirror to probe the information within.

Regarding the unusual activities in the Immortal Alliance, the Tianxuan Mirror had indeed known about it in advance.

However, this result left Li Fan somewhat inexplicably surprised.

"Transmission from the Celestial Transmitting Lord: There may be some disturbances in the Xuan Huang Realm recently, and the Immortal Alliance needs to prepare in advance."

"This..."

"Since the creation of the Immortal Alliance, the Celestial Transmitting Lord has only actively transmitted messages a few times. The transmitters take it very seriously..."

After cutting off the probing of the Infinite Mirror and soothing his emotions, Li Fan fell into contemplation.

He wasn't sure whether the event of the "Celestial Lord's Transmission" had occurred in the previous reincarnation.

However, there had never been any disturbances in the Xuan Huang Realm in the numerous lifetimes Li Fan had experienced.

"The Celestial Transmitting Lord specially transmitted the message to explain that the upcoming disturbance will not be small. If caught off guard and unprepared, it might cause widespread panic."

"But the fact that the Celestial Transmitting Lord only transmitted the message and did not rush back indicates that this disturbance will not cause destructive damage to the Xuan Huang Realm..."

"The predicted disturbance by the Celestial Transmitting Lord is expected to happen about a month later. By then, we will know whether this is a unique event in this world."

...

On Shang Shaojun's side, he also obtained results.

Naturally, it was not as detailed as the information stolen from the Tianxuan Mirror, but it was close.

"The entire Immortal Alliance, from top to bottom, has been mobilized. I believe the relevant orders will soon reach the Eternal Immortal Citadel."

"Li Xiong, what do you think?"

Saintly Li Fan contemplated for a moment and said, "The tasks we want to accomplish are not something that can be done overnight. Since the entire Xuan Huang Realm is about to face a possible crisis, it's better to start preparing for it now."

"The Green Xuan Army can't be without a leader. There might be changes in the situation when you return to command the Deep Abyss. Let's return to the Eternal Immortal Citadel first and observe the situation."

Li Fan's suggestion was accepted by Shang Shaojun.

The two hastily concluded this journey and returned to the Broken Palm Immortal City.

Gazing into the distance at the tranquil and profound Deep Abyss, Saintly Li Fan once again envisioned the figure that appeared at the bottom of the Deep Abyss earlier.

"Perhaps, the uniqueness of this world is related to my small actions?"

Li Fan frowned slightly, feeling puzzled.

Chapter 1175: Doubts in the Starry Sea

In fact, the two words "perhaps" can be omitted.

If, in the next moment, the entire Xuan Huang Realm truly experiences a massive upheaval, then it can almost be certain that it was caused by some action of Li Fan in this lifetime.

"The root cause of the tremors in the Xuan Huang Realm should come from the attraction of the Immortal Ruins."

"The key is here. How did I, with my abilities, manage to influence the Immortal Ruins?"

Scenes from this lifetime quickly flashed before Li Fan's eyes.

Eliminating all impossible options, Li Fan narrowed down the list to a few suspicious entities.

The mysterious figure in the Deep Abyss, who had reimplanted fragments into the world.

The intangible presence in the Realm of Life and Death that collected the bodies of cultivators.

And...

The migration and transportation of the Five Elements Grand Immortal Realm.

With Li Fan's current strength, whether it's the true self or the avatars, he cannot directly change the Immortal Ruins. However, his actions can influence and change the destinies of powerful beings that can shake the Immortal Ruins, causing deviations.

"Left and right, just a little over a month. Patience is key."

Saintly Li Fan fell into silent contemplation.

While the Immortal Alliance was in a state of urgent preparation for battle, the Holy Dynasty was no different.

A decree had been issued recently stating that the Holy Emperor would experiment with divine techniques in the void outside the Great Awakening. It might cause some tremors, and it was considered a normal phenomenon, so there was no need to panic.

The people of the Great Awakening, their worship of the Holy Emperor had reached almost fanatical levels.

Naturally, whatever the decree said was true.

Upon hearing it, the common people not only did not feel nervous or fearful but instead looked forward to the power of the Holy Emperor's divine techniques.

In the secret chamber beneath the Holy Emperor's throne:

Yin Shangren and Li Ping faced each other.

"The little guys you brought me last time indeed have great talent. Some of them are even smarter than I imagined. Two of them have already successfully built the foundation with my guidance. The others shouldn't be far behind."

"If they had accepted 'building the foundation with me' as the only and correct method from the beginning, it would indeed have greatly helped their cultivation."

Yin Shangren first summarized the recent achievements and then changed the subject, "I have been feeling a bit uneasy lately. I heard that you are going to test some divine techniques? Try to stay away, don't destroy this little world."

"I quite like it here," Yin Shangren said casually.

Li Ping nodded in agreement, but thoughts churned in his mind, "Yin Shangren is the soul of the world, parasitic in the Xuan Huang Realm. He vaguely senses something, indicating that the Xuan Huang Realm is indeed about to face some calamity."

Time passed slowly amid the anticipation of many.

In the midst of this, without anyone's knowledge, over a hundred stone-made puppets quietly flew into the sky above the Xuan Huang Realm.

At the boundary of the world, just a step away from being engulfed in the void.

Still within the range of the Xuan Huang Realm, they wouldn't be sucked away by the Immortal Ruins' attraction.

Yet, they could observe the overall macroscopic scene of the Xuan Huang Realm from a high vantage point.

These puppets were naturally created by Li Ping.

They didn't have any special purpose; they were just meant to observe and record the upcoming tremors in the Xuan Huang Realm.

The puppets floated silently in the air, waiting for the imminent event.

As the day predicted by the Celestial Transmitting Lord drew nearer and nearer.

One day, the true self of Li Fan in the Yinfajue space, the Saintly Li Fan outside the Deep Abyss, the Li Fan avatar in the Infinite Mirror, and the Holy Emperor Li Ping in the Holy Dynasty.

All of them, in an instant, felt a certain intuition.

They all looked towards the sky at the same time.

In the previous occurrence of the Tianxuan Locking Spirit, Ji Hongdao had killed cultivators in a whole province in an instant, using a method of mutual destruction, forcing the One-Hearted Celestial Lord to retreat from the Five Elders Association.

At that time, because many cultivators had suddenly disappeared, the Xuan Huang Realm suddenly became lighter.

Continuous tremors, roaring and howling.

All living beings within it felt like a great disaster was imminent, as if they would die in the next moment.

At that time, Li Fan had personally experienced this feeling.

Now, this feeling was more than a hundred times stronger.

Boom!

Without any warning, the Xuan Huang Realm violently shook.

It's as if there's a giant violently tearing apart the entire world with both hands.

Cracks appear from every corner of the earth and spread rapidly to both sides. In an instant, the once flat terrain becomes a landscape full of scars.

Countless mountain ranges split open, and some even collapse, falling into the abyss that suddenly appears beneath the ground.

If everything happening on the surface doesn't make the cultivators living in the Floating City feel much fear.

The subsequent changes in the White Mist Barrier, however, cause all the cultivators in the Xuan Huang Realm to tremble uncontrollably.

The seemingly eternal White Mist Barrier, spanning the heavens and earth, unexpectedly warps and fractures.

The white mist disperses from its original fixed area, spreading outward.

Wherever it passes, it devours the life force of all living beings.

The boundaries of the regions change as a result.

With the eyes of over a hundred puppets in the sky, Li Fan observes more vividly.

The devouring elemental white mist seems to be attracted by something outside the Xuan Huang Realm, surging towards it.

However, it seems that due to some restraining force, the white mists cannot leave the Xuan Huang Realm.

It is the tug-of-war between two forces that leads to the fracture of the White Mist Barrier.

As the world undergoes drastic changes, the spiritual energy becomes violently turbulent.

Li Fan clearly sees storms, flames, thunder, floods, and various disasters suddenly descending within the Xuan Huang Realm.

Under the catalysis of the chaotic spiritual energy, their power is even more potent than usual, multiplying many times over.

And the tremors in the Xuan Huang Realm continue unabated.

This calamity seems to be much more enduring than imagined.

Finally, the Immortal Alliance cultivators take action.

They fly out from various Floating Cities, calming the riots of spiritual energy while attempting to repair the various anomalies caused by the violent shaking of the Xuan Huang Realm.

In the midst of the shaking earth and sky, their progress is difficult.

But indeed, there is no fatal danger.

Only the world's tremors will inevitably make the living creatures within it feel an uncontrollable fear.

Most cultivators can only go blank in their minds, praying internally for the disaster to pass quickly.

Apart from this, there is nothing else they can do.

Li Fan has witnessed a real end-of-the-world scenario.

A slight tremor is truly insignificant compared to the destruction of the Xuan Huang Realm by the Immortal Ruins immortal.

Therefore, he can ignore the changes in the world and calmly observe.

"Strange..."

"The source of the attractive force causing the shaking of heaven and earth..."

Li Fan suddenly felt a sense of disharmony in his heart.

With a thought, the hundred stone-made puppets at the edge of the world drifted away, coming to the endless void.

Without the protection of the Xuan Huang Realm, the puppets are affected by a strong suction force and uncontrollably move in a certain direction.

However, as they move away from the Xuan Huang Realm at an increasingly fast speed, Li Fan confirms the anomaly he sensed.

The force causing the massive tremors in the Xuan Huang Realm is not from the Immortal Ruins.

Instead, it comes from the depths of the Dark Starry Sea!

(End of this chapter)