Chapter 936-940: War Ceases for Gains (6k+ words)

These cultivators with strange attire and equipment were different from the projections summoned from the Immortal Sect's Armory.

They lacked any fighting skills and solely relied on their equipment to gain the upper hand in battles.

However, these cultivators had a peculiar characteristic—they feared no death.

If their companions were killed, instead of feeling sadness or pain, they would show mocking and laughter on their faces.

Even when it was their turn to die, they wouldn't feel fear, only some regret and unwillingness.

Under the combined resistance forces, the Wanxian Alliance's assault was blocked, and there were signs of the frontlines being pushed back.

At this moment, the Wanxian Alliance made a decision that was somewhat unexpected.

Instead of stubbornly continuing the attack, they decided to retreat.

Just like when they came, they covered each other and orderly withdrew.

The Tianxuan Mirror's image was abruptly cut off.

This instant change caused dissatisfaction among the cultivators eagerly watching the live broadcast in front of the Tianxuan Mirror.

"Is this it? They retreat just because of a small setback?"

"Why withdraw when there's still a fight to be had!"

"So afraid of death? If you won't fight, I will! Let me go to the battlefield!"

"Who ordered the retreat? They deserve to die!"

...

The crowd was excited, but it couldn't change the decision on the battlefield.

That day, the Wanxian Alliance issued another announcement.

It stated that the recent battles were a display of their own strength and a small warning to the Five Elders.

The previous promise remained unchanged; if the Five Elders were willing to hand over the Wanxian Alliance's legacy, everything could still be discussed.

If the Five Elders remained stubborn, the Wanxian Alliance might visit them sooner rather than later.

Whether it was war or peace, it was entirely up to the Five Elders to decide!

Clearly, this announcement was a blatant threat.

In the past, the Five Elders would have disregarded this and might have issued a similar announcement, responding with counterattacks, sarcasm, and mockery.

But times had changed.

The Wanxian Alliance's sudden attack genuinely scared them.

Other methods were fine.

It was just that the cooperation between the Celestial Monarchs and the use of the Celestial Monarch's Sky-Piercing Arrows, a tactic, could actually affect the Five Celestial Monarchs like divine beings!

It was essential to note that, unlike the legendary status of the Transcendent Celestial Monarch within the Wanxian Alliance, the Five Celestial Monarchs were real, ruling over and managing the Five Elders.

And from time to time, there would be "Celestial Monarch's Edicts" issued.

It could be said that the Five Celestial Monarchs had an absolute authoritative position in the hearts of the Five Elders' cultivators.

So you can imagine the shock when they discovered that the Wanxian Alliance's weapons could actually harm the Five Celestial Monarchs, who were like gods!

In haste, being ambushed and invaded by the Wanxian Alliance, it was understandable.

Although they eventually reacted, launched a counterattack, and temporarily repelled the Wanxian Alliance, in these days when the authority of the Celestial Monarchs had not fully recovered, chaos still spread within the Five Elders.

Those cultivators accustomed to the laws of the Celestial Monarchs were exposed for the first time to the genuine Xuanhuang Realm without the laws of the Celestial Monarchs.

The impact on them was shocking.

For example, when cultivators from the Realm of Truth suddenly discovered that they could lie.

In an environment where everyone subconsciously believed there were no lies in the world, the destructive power of lies was catastrophic.

After cultivators tasted the benefits brought by lies, the power of lies spread through the former Realm of Truth at a terrifying speed.

It could be foreseen that until the power of the Celestials was fully restored, this chaos would not disappear on its own.

The so-called "the strong are respected."

Now that the Wanxian Alliance's strength could deal a fatal blow to the Five Elders, they had no choice but to submit.

More importantly, the Five Elders were unaware that all the Thirty-Three Immortal Candidates capable of triggering the Celestial Monarch's Sky-Piercing Arrows had already sacrificed themselves.

In their view, those Celestial Monarch's Law Avatars, like the Celestial Monarch's Sky-Piercing Arrows, were powers that could be used again at any time.

So, the threat from the Wanxian Alliance was something they had to face.

Two days later, a delegation of over ten Five Elders' cultivators arrived at the Wanxian Alliance.

Officially, they came for friendly negotiations, but in reality, it was a humiliating plea for peace.

Moreover, they really brought the so-called "Wanxian Alliance Legacy."

This made the Wanxian Alliance cultivators burst into laughter for quite a while.

The entire negotiation process lasted for seven days.

The specifics of the agreement reached were not known to the public.

But obviously, the Wanxian Alliance was quite satisfied with the price paid by the Five Elders.

There was no mention of seeking justice anymore.

After the Five Elders' delegation left in embarrassment, a large-scale rewards ceremony began.

The black-clad cultivators did not mention much but extensively introduced the overall commander of the operation against the Five Elders to the public.

The Law Transmitter, Jiang.

In the surprise attack, he played a crucial role in planning the Celestial Monarch's Sky-Piercing Arrows and Celestial Monarch's Law Avatars.

This was also the first time that the Law Transmitter appeared in the sight of the Wanxian Alliance public.

Li Fan looked at the widely circulated figure, a slender middle-aged man who looked unremarkable, except for the conspicuous goatee on his chin.

"It's strange that the usually low-key Law Transmitter chose to reveal himself actively," Li Fan frowned slightly, feeling puzzled.

This had never happened in his previous cycles of experience.

Li Fan speculated that it might be related to Mo Rubin, the youth who had possessed the Law Transmitter.

There was also power struggle among the Law Transmitters.

Mo Rubin tried to control the Tianxuan Mirror through a formation.

Perhaps this caused some people to feel threatened.

So, by achieving meritorious deeds in this conquest, they stabilized their positions.

However, Li Fan felt something was off in his heart.

The plans for the Celestial Monarch's Sky-Piercing Arrows and Immortal Candidates had been laid out long ago.

It was clear they had been plotting for a long time.

Mo Rubin disguising himself as the Law Transmitter was just a recent event.

"Or perhaps..."

"Is it really for that so-called 'Wanxian Alliance Legacy'?"

Li Fan suddenly focused his attention on this "excuse" that all Wanxian Alliance cultivators believed.

"If it's true, what is it that is worth the Wanxian Alliance going to such great lengths?"

"It seems like it's time for the Alliance of the Ten Thousand Realms to take action again."

Thinking like this, Li Qing, the clone, felt something and once again left the Spiritwood Realm, heading directly to the Five Elders' territory.

The Celestial Monarch's Sky-Piercing Arrows had been completely depleted, and the imprint left by Li Fan on the border's protective formations had been dissolved using the Disk of Ultimate Dissolution.

Li Qing encountered no trouble along the way.

The Wanxian Alliance, having just won a great victory, seemed to have relaxed their vigilance, and Li Qing easily broke through the defense lines, infiltrating the Five Elders' territory.

Several border states were completely plundered by the Wanxian Alliance, and with a sweep of his divine sense, not even half a living person could be found.

Using covert techniques along the way, he advanced toward the heartland of the Five Elders.

Only after crossing five states did cultivators gradually appear.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 937: Law Transmitter's Soul Bone

However, the spy organization of the Five Elders seemed to have suffered a considerable impact.

No one came forward to guide Li Qing.

Li Qing had to continue advancing until he reached an area called Fan Qingzhou, where finally, there was a response.

However, after connecting the communication on the other side, they didn't speak. They simply waited for Li Qing to initiate the conversation.

"I am a member of the Alliance of the Ten Thousand Realms. There is urgent business that requires contact with your superiors," Li Qing transmitted.

"The Alliance of the Ten Thousand Realms? What's that?" A voice, sounding very young, came from the other side.

After a brief chaotic noise, soon, the person on the other end turned into a steady middle-aged cultivator.

"Friend, forgive us. Nowadays, chaos reigns everywhere. Many key figures in the organization have disappeared in the great battles, and their fates are unknown. So, we cannot currently confirm your identity..."

They directly rejected Li Qing's request for a meeting.

After a short silence, Li Qing spoke again, "The more chaotic the times, the more crucial the need for key intelligence. The information I have is enough to turn the tables for your Five Elders' situation..."

"A great contribution. Are you willing to miss it for nothing? With positions vacant now, if you can achieve merit and rise..."

"Moreover, the Wanxian Alliance currently has an absolute advantage. Are you still worried that I am a spy sent by them?"

Li Qing's tone was full of sarcasm, and in just a few words, he directly broke through the other party's psychological defenses.

The breathing on the other side suddenly became hurried.

However, the communication was temporarily interrupted.

Li Qing was not in a hurry, patiently waiting with a confident demeanor.

Sure enough, after a little more than half a day, the middle-aged cultivator initiated contact.

"Where shall we meet?"

"Let's make it clear first; I came on my own. If the intelligence you mention isn't reliable, I'll treat it like I never met you."

Li Qing smiled slightly, revealing his location to the other party.

Before long, a black stream of light flew from the sky.

A cultivator, completely covered in metallic armor, with an indistinct appearance, quietly appeared in front of Li Qing.

"This outfit is not bad," Li Qing commented.

The armor worn by the middle-aged cultivator was exactly the same as the equipment of the cultivator who flew out of the floating city in the sky.

"It's only now that the Joyful Land has been willing to bring out these good things. If they hadn't been hoarding them, we wouldn't have suffered such a miserable defeat." The middle-aged cultivator answered briefly, full of complaints.

As he spoke, a transparent ripple surged from his armor.

Spreading outwards, it formed a circular barrier, enveloping the two within.

Isolating the inside from the outside, the scene outside the barrier immediately became blurry.

"Alright, it's safe here. What important information are you talking about?" The middle-aged man seemed a bit nervous, staring at Li Qing.

Li Qing smiled and said, "I've said it already, it's crucial information that can turn the tide of the battle. How could I easily tell you?"

The middle-aged cultivator became somewhat anxious. "Then what do you want?"

"At the very least, I want to meet someone who can make decisions before I say anything."

"You don't speak, how do I know if you're lying? In this sensitive moment, should I take someone with an unknown identity to meet the higher-ups? I'm tired of living?" The middle-aged cultivator on the other side, who was obviously not responsible for intelligence and espionage work, was quite straightforward and irritated.

Seeing this, Li Qing didn't want to entangle with this person anymore and straightforwardly said, "We of the Alliance of the Ten Thousand Realms know how to break the Celestial Monarch's Law Avatar of the Wanxian Alliance. What do you think?"

"What?" The middle-aged cultivator was initially somewhat stunned and then directly exclaimed, "Are you serious?" His voice trembled.

"Is this true?" He sounded a bit shaky.

"I am right here, waiting for the person who can make decisions to come," Li Qing said coldly.

The middle-aged cultivator lowered his head and thought for a moment, ultimately gritting his teeth.

Without any fluctuations in his divine sense, he completed the notification.

Chapter 937: Law Transmitter's Soul Bone

In the face of this heavyweight intelligence, the Five Elders finally showed a hint of the efficiency they should have had from the beginning.

In the time it took to finish half a cup of tea, over a hundred streams of black light flew here in unison.

All of them were clad in metallic battle armor, surrounding Li Qing in a circle.

Surprisingly, the one leading them was a female cultivator. She walked straight up to Li Qing, "Friend from the Alliance of the Ten Thousand Realms?"

Li Qing nodded, confirming his identity.

"I am Qing Yang, in charge of rebuilding the post-war intelligence system. Follow me."

Under the escort of over a hundred cultivators, Li Qing arrived at an underground fortress.

He remained calm throughout the entire journey, leaving quite an impression on the members of the Five Elders.

This underground fortress seemed to have been recently constructed in response to the Wanxian Alliance's attacks.

Upon reaching the deepest chamber, Qing Yang ordered the others to leave, leaving her alone to face Li Qing.

"Now you can speak," Qing Yang's voice lacked any emotion.

"Miss Qing Yang doesn't dare to reveal her face; it's hard for me to believe," Li Qing said with a light laugh, shaking his head.

After a brief silence, Qing Yang removed her black metallic battle armor, revealing her true appearance.

Her appearance was ordinary, easily overlooked in a crowd.

However, Li Qing keenly sensed a cold indifference towards life in her eyes.

After careful observation for a long time, Li Qing spoke slowly, "Exchange the information about the Celestial Monarch's Law Avatar for the information we want, obtained from the Celestial Chosen."

"Agreed," Qing Yang nodded.

"What do you want?" Qing Yang was decisive, asking directly.

"What exactly is the Wanxian Alliance's Immortal League Secret Treasure?" Li Qing inquired.

"Huh?" Qing Yang seemed surprised by this question, freezing on the spot.

"I... I don't know. But this matter shouldn't be classified. Let me check."

The black metallic light once again shrouded Qing Yang's face.

When she appeared again, her face was filled with perplexity.

"The information exceeds my authority..."

Now she seemed a bit uneasy.

"Sorry, wait a moment," Qing Yang hastily left the secret chamber.

Meanwhile, Li Qing fell into deep thought.

"Indeed, this so-called Immortal League Secret Treasure, which appears to be an excuse, is actually true."

"What kind of treasure did the Wanxian Alliance have during its founding years that is remembered for thousands of years?"

Just as Li Qing pondered, Qing Yang quickly returned.

Her expression was somewhat strange.

Directly providing the answer, she said, "The so-called Immortal League Secret Treasure is some remnants and bones of the first-generation members of the Immortal League."

"When the Immortal Sect besieged the Wanxian Alliance back then, to serve as a deterrent, they extracted the souls of those defeated, stubborn Law Transmitters, torturing them day and night."

"It was once a common practice and a proclamation to the world. Now it seems a bit less glorious, so it has been kept a secret."

In the Spiritwood Realm, Li Fan sensed the answer his avatar heard, and his eyes narrowed.

He remembered that during the 115th era, the Five Elders raided the Wanxian Island, seemingly to excavate the remains of the first-generation Law Transmitters.

Chapter 938: Victory and Defeat from the Unknown

"In different timelines, both sides have fought fiercely for the remains of the first-generation Law Transmitters. It seems that, besides symbolic meaning, these remains should serve other purposes."

In an instant, Li Fan had the idea to go to Wanxian Island and search.

However, he quickly suppressed the thought forcefully.

Although it seemed that Wanxian Island, located in the remote area of the Cloud Sea, was just a provincial city with at most Nascent Soul realm cultivators stationed, the current Li Fan could easily suppress them.

But besides containing the remains of the first-generation Law Transmitters, Wanxian Island also suppressed the mysterious source below called the "Ghostly Passage."

The one in charge of monitoring the anomalies in the Celestial Mechanism Hall, Gongsun Qixuan, was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

Attempting to dig and excavate under the nose of the Wanxian Alliance...

"It might be possible. As long as I stir the waters again."

"And there's something strange. If they just wanted the remains, they could have gone directly to Wanxian Island. Why did they have to snatch that batch from the Five Elders?"

Li Fan pondered with a hint of doubt.

"It seems like I need to connect with Mo Rubin as soon as possible."

The scene returned to the Five Elders, to Li Qing's side.

"Remains? Wanxian Alliance went to great lengths just for this?" Li Qing expressed the same question as his main body.

"Yes." Qing Yang affirmed again.

"In the Soul Grinding Plate, there are fifty-six souls and a hundred and three remains."

"But after so many years of torment, they have become completely insane and should have no value." Qing Yang looked at Li Qing, intentionally or unintentionally.

Li Qing's face showed no emotional fluctuations. After feigning contemplation for a moment, he said, "Since you're so generous, let me tell you something."

"All thirty-three Celestial Chosen are dead. The Wanxian Alliance probably won't be able to summon the Celestial Monarch's Law Avatar in a short time."

"Moreover, the last Celestial Chosen was selected through the grand-scale Wanxian Alliance examination. To re-complete the Celestial Chosen, it may require a period of vacancy. This might be your opportunity to counterattack." Li Qing didn't state it too conclusively, just subtly provoking.

Upon hearing this, although Qing Yang appeared calm, the change in her eyes exposed the shock in her heart at this moment.

"I wonder when the five Celestial Monarchs will fully recover their strength?" Li Qing took the opportunity to inquire.

Qing Yang shook her head, remaining silent.

"Unfortunately, I thought I could renew my relationship with One-Hearted Celestial Monarch." Li Qing sighed.

Qing Yang's gaze instantly condensed, falling on Li Qing.

Ignoring the substantive killing intent, Li Qing cupped his hands, "My mission is completed; I won't disturb you any longer."

"Hope we have a chance for future cooperation."

Li Qing prepared to leave, and Qing Yang didn't stop him.

Before leaving, they exchanged new contact methods. Li Qing transformed into a sword light and flew away directly.

"Sir, this person is suspicious. Why let him go like this?" A shadow suddenly appeared behind Qing Yang, questioning.

"Although this person is quite powerful, I'm sure I can keep him here."

Qing Yang stared at the sky until the sword light disappeared completely. She then said indifferently, "He is not our enemy at the moment; there is no need to bother with him."

"How is the Poison Seed Plan going?"

The shadow spoke in a deep voice, "Still can't make contact. Wanxian Alliance has taken our residents, and their whereabouts are unknown."

"Continue tracking." Qing Yang's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness.

"Since they dared to reach out, they must be prepared to be cut down."

"Yes!" The shadow's tone revealed a hint of excitement.

...

Li Qing was unaware of what happened after he left.

However, the almost tangible malice lingering around him, which belonged to the shadow, was something he vaguely felt.

So, he didn't linger. After getting the information he wanted, he left the territory of the Five Elders.

However, on his way back, he glimpsed a scene that surprised him.

On the large ruins almost razed to the ground by the Wanxian Alliance, a group of cultivators wearing flowing light armor appeared.

Floating in mid-air, from the heads of their armor, they projected the shadows of buildings onto the ground.

With the continuous condensation of light beams, those originally illusory buildings gradually became solid.

A group of cultivators effortlessly created a moderately sized city in the span of half a cup of tea.

"Mission accomplished. Let me see the rewards for this time."

"This is too stingy... Well, let's move on to the next one."

These cultivators muttered, flying away one after another.

"It's interesting," Li Qing squinted his eyes.

Cultivators from the Carefree Land seemed to have a completely different attitude and behavior compared to external cultivators. Moreover, their level of development seemed to far surpass other regions of the Five Elders.

"If buildings can be rebuilt, what about those people abducted by the Wanxian Alliance? Can they also be conjured out of thin air?"

Li Qing became interested and, after getting approval from his main body, secretly lurked near this newly constructed city.

He didn't have to wait long.

Six days later, another group of cultivators in flowing light armor appeared. They guarded a massive warship and arrived above the city. With a huge beam of light projected from the warship, it covered the city. As if in a deep slumber, bodies floated down along the light beam, gently falling throughout the city.

In no time, the originally empty city became bustling once again.

After the warship completed its task and left, the sleeping residents gradually woke up. They seemed unaware of what had happened before, as if revived from a frozen state, immediately continuing their previous actions.

In almost an instant, the city became lively with voices.

Li Qing secretly infiltrated the city, controlled a resident, and carefully investigated. He found that these were indeed real people, not illusory creations.

"This method..."

Li Qing's face turned serious.

In this war, it seemed like the Five Elders had lost, yet it also felt like they hadn't.

With expectations for what would happen next, Li Qing turned into a sword light and left the area.

...

Wanxian Alliance, Guangyang Province.

Li Fan, in his Holy Embryo form, was playing chess with a scruffy-dressed old man under the shade of willow trees.

Li Fan was very relaxed, while the old man, in contrast, took a long time to ponder each move.

Regardless of the old man's struggle, he eventually lost the game.

"I give up!"

"You little brat, something's not right with you!"

The old man snorted and directly overturned the chessboard.

Oddly enough, the black and white pieces, which should have been scattered everywhere, were seemingly attracted back to the chessboard.

The pieces returned to their positions, and the chessboard automatically arranged itself, settling in front of the old man.

"Darn it..."

The old man couldn't help cursing.

Li Fan, accustomed to this, was unfazed.

This was the 999th game they had played.

Chapter complete.

Chapter 939: Yansu's Law Pearl Malfunction

"What are you talking about, Senior? What's wrong with me?"

"Looking at the entire Xuanhuang Realm, besides me, who is willing to play a thousand games of chess with you?"

Li Fan smiled, making a move while questioning.

However, the first move was directly placed on the position of the "Heavenly Origin."

The scruffy old man's expression changed as he glanced at Li Fan, his demeanor becoming extremely serious.

"You, kid, clearly only have Nascent Soul cultivation. Your divination ability is frighteningly strong, and you don't even bother to conceal it. You just sat down beside me."

"You came prepared!"

"I was a bit happy at first, thinking that after all these years, I could finally have some fun. It was only halfway through that I realized I fell into your trap!"

The old man sighed slightly.

Li Fan just smiled and didn't answer.

The scruffy old man was named Qian Xun Dao Ren, a veteran Daoist who fell in cultivation due to injuries. Strangely, he carried a "Jianfa Jade Card," which was an achievement from the Immortal Alliance.

At this point in time, very few people were aware of this fact.

In the eyes of others, Qian Xun Dao Ren was just an ordinary, slightly eccentric cultivator.

Only more than a decade later, a mortal named Xiao Shengke encountered Qian Xun Dao Ren. After living together for a thousand days in a life of begging, he was gifted the Jianfa Jade Card.

With his mortal body, he faced Yansu's Law Pearl, obtained Daoist techniques, and stepped onto the Immortal path.

This story was often recounted by later generations.

Li Fan sought out Qian Xun Dao Ren naturally for his Daoist techniques embedded in the Jianfa Jade Card.

But begging for a thousand days was too long. So, Li Fan intentionally provoked him into playing chess.

Qian Xun Dao Ren's name was closely related to his Daoist techniques. Everything needed a thousandfold completion, but there had to be someone accompanying him.

While playing chess with Li Fan, he was actually cultivating.

The only limitation was that he couldn't actively mention the origin of this practice to others. After completing a segment of the "Qian Xun" cultivation, his appearance and aura would change drastically.

So, it all depended on fate.

But Li Fan had the privilege of knowing this information in advance.

When the final piece was placed, Li Fan made a mistake, ultimately losing to Qian Xun Dao Ren.

"You brat, you finally let me win a game."

Qian Xun Dao Ren scolded, though he won, he didn't feel happy at all.

Once again overturning the chessboard, this time the black and white pieces dissipated into the air.

A surging breath emanated from Qian Xun Dao Ren's body.

"Congratulations, Senior, you're not far from reuniting with Dao!"

Li Fan smiled.

"What do you want?" Qian Xun Dao Ren didn't beat around the bush, directly asking.

"The Jianfa Jade Card."

"Get lost!" Qian Xun Dao Ren threw the jade card over without waiting for Li Fan's response. Before Li Fan could say anything, his figure disappeared.

Li Fan collected the jade card, not caring. Anyone who lost almost a thousand games, seemingly narrowly defeated in each match, would inevitably have a bit of a temper.

Not resorting to violence was already considered high-quality behavior on Qian Xun Dao Ren's part.

"With the guidance of the Dao Stone, few in the world can defeat me in the path of chess."

Li Fan shook his head slightly and arrived at a remote and uninhabited place.

He directly used the Jianfa Jade Card.

Before this, he had already sorted out his identity within the Wanxian Alliance.

So, the whole process encountered no unexpected incidents.

Still, cultivators came to guide him, and a door appeared out of nowhere.

However, after a moment of dizziness, he found himself back at the Wanxian Alliance headquarters...

"Hmm?"

Looking around, it wasn't the scene of the Wanxian Alliance headquarters.

In a blurry light cluster, several figures stood.

Intermittent dialogues came from within.

"Are you confident on this journey?"

"Do what you can, and leave the rest to fate."

"That doesn't sound like something you would say."

"The strength gap is too great; I can only take a desperate gamble."

"Well, go ahead. Whether it's a blessing or a curse, who knows."

...

One of the voices seemed somewhat familiar to Li Fan, but it was not entirely like anyone he knew.

He knew this was an illusion caused by entering the Immortal Alliance headquarters for the first time, influenced by the Law Transcending Celestial.

But for some reason, this time was different from the previous experiences of his main body and clone.

"Is one of those figures the Law Transcending Celestial?"

"What does this represent?"

Before Li Fan could contemplate, he felt a violent shake, and the scene shattered layer by layer.

He left the illusion and appeared in the Immortal Alliance headquarters.

The guiding cultivator was accustomed to this; he briefly explained, then led Li Fan to Yansu's Law Pearl.

It was like a well-trodden path, exactly the same as the encounters in the previous lives.

Until they entered the headquarters of the Protectorate Hall, where the announcement caught Li Fan off guard.

"Yansu's Law Pearl applicant: Fan Li."

"Number: 005. Authorization level: Dao Unity."

"Please wait patiently. Estimated remaining waiting time: 3,623 days and 6 hours."

Initially, Li Fan thought he had misheard, but after hearing it again, he was astonished.

"Why do I have to wait so long?"

With doubt in his heart, he couldn't help but ask the empty space.

"If unwilling to wait, you may leave on your own."

"Warning: Leaving means voluntarily giving up the right to use the Law Transcending Celestial Jade Card."

After a long time, a voice finally replied in the space.

"I'm number 005, yet I have to wait for nearly ten years. How does that make sense?"

"As if I've never used Yansu's Law Pearl before? How long does it take to deduce a set of cultivation techniques? Someone must be using public resources for personal reasons!"

Li Fan, the Law Transcending Celestial, was unyielding and raised a commotion.

He appeared determined to seek an explanation.

Seemingly unable to tolerate Li Fan's disturbance, the voice turned icy after a while.

"Due to uncontrollable factors, Yansu's Law Pearl's deductive ability is severely disrupted."

"Hence, the waiting time has been significantly extended."

"Please understand and cooperate, cultivator."

"Warning: This matter is highly confidential within the Immortal Alliance. Please do not disclose it."

The voice issued a warning.

Li Fan's expression changed slightly, but he didn't restrain himself.

He exaggeratedly exclaimed, "What? The foundation of the Immortal Alliance, a miraculous item of heaven, Yansu's Law Pearl is actually malfunctioning?"

"What kind of trick are you playing in the Protectorate Hall?"

"Something so serious has happened, and instead of thinking about how to solve it, you deliberately conceal it?!"

"There must be a traitor among you!"

"No, I will definitely make this matter public!"

...

Amidst Li Fan's loud complaints, a figure slowly appeared in front of him.

Expressionless, the figure stared at Li Fan as if looking at a dead person.

Li Fan instantly became serious, "Let me take a look. Perhaps I can find a solution."

Hearing this, the figure froze on the spot.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 940: The Hidden Greed within the Heart

The originally blurry figure instantly became clear. An old man with white hair, a "法" character carved on his forehead, appeared in front of Law Transcending Celestial Li Fan.

"Do you know what you're talking about? Many Dao-fusion cultivators find themselves helpless, and yet, a mere Nascent Soul like you dares to speak arrogantly?" The old man's face darkened as he stared at Li Fan, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes.

Li Fan, however, was fearless. He shrugged, "What if I do? Anyway, you guys don't have any better solutions, do you?" His confident demeanor made the old man hesitate.

After a brief investigation of the seemingly arrogant cultivator's background, the old man felt that something was unusually clean and simple about this person's background—almost as if he appeared out of nowhere, with essential information deliberately concealed.

"This kid indeed only has Nascent Soul cultivation. No matter what, he can't turn the tide. Besides, the situation can't get any worse..."

After contemplating for a moment, the white-haired old man coldly snorted, "Follow me!"

With that, Li Fan felt a blur before his eyes.

He found himself in the space where Yansu's Law Pearl was originally located. Unlike before, the enormous sphere composed of countless characters, constantly changing and evolving, now seemed rusted and operated extremely slowly.

Underneath the sphere, Yansu's Law Pearl's small loli form lay on a long wooden table, deeply asleep. Three cultivators stood in the distance, watching Yansu's Law Pearl with worry.

Sensing that the white-haired old man had brought Li Fan, they merely glanced at him and didn't inquire further. Soon, their attention refocused on the sphere of rapidly slowing characters.

It seemed to be entangled with some strange force. When Li Fan's divine sense approached it, the surrounding scenes seemed to fast-forward a thousand times.

After Li Fan decisively withdrew his divine sense, he realized that, in just a short moment, almost an incense stick's worth of time had passed in the real world.

Li Fan realized that it wasn't the acceleration of time around him but rather the extreme slowing down of his own thought process. His consciousness was almost stagnant.

"How did it become like this?" Li Fan couldn't help but furrow his brows, asking the white-haired old man through a sound transmission, "Did invaders infiltrate this place, causing..."

This was quite a severe accusation, and the white-haired old man's expression slightly changed. He interrupted Li Fan, "Stop talking nonsense. The cultivators who have had contact with Yansu's Law Pearl during this period have been thoroughly investigated, and all suspicion of foul play has been ruled out. In fact, Yansu's abnormality started the day our Immortal Alliance went to war with the Five Elders."

Hearing this, Li Fan immediately recalled the five Law Manifestations, manipulating a vast net of white, distorting the principles of heaven and earth in the Five Elders' territory.

"Yansu's Law Pearl is a heavenly marvel in the Xuanhuang Realm, representing a profound principle of heaven and earth."

"Could it be that it suffered an accidental injury during this process?"

Li Fan was the first to think of this possibility, and the Protectorate Hall naturally wouldn't overlook it.

"The principle of Yansu's Law itself has not been affected; we have confirmed it repeatedly." The white-haired old man looked at Li Fan with a pensive expression, transmitting his voice calmly.

"Not that reason then..." Li Fan nodded and shifted his gaze back to the sphere of characters.

Covered by a mysterious force, it seemed to form a barrier outside the light sphere, blocking all possible probes from the outside world.

After pondering for a moment, Li Fan once again separated a strand of divine sense and flew towards it.

Under normal circumstances, direct contact with Yansu's Law Pearl would be strictly prohibited.

However, with Yansu's Law Pearl malfunctioning, no one came out to stop this attempt at "treatment."

As his divine sense approached the giant light sphere, the surrounding scenes gradually distorted and warped.

The sphere of characters also expanded, turning into a flat surface.

Chapter 941: The Heart's Greed

Like a vast white paper stretching from heaven to earth, countless characters constantly flashed and changed on the paper.

From the perspective of divine sense, the speed of Yansu's Law Pearl's derivation technique seemed normal. However, this was because the thought speed of divine sense itself was also hindered, resulting in both sides being at the same level.

"Could it be caused by this distortion?"

Divine sense quickly swept the surface of the paper, outlining the current state of Yansu's Law Pearl.

"The Ascension Record can heal the world's ailments."

"Yansu's Law Pearl represents the embodiment of the world's laws. As long as we find the corresponding symptoms..."

"First, we need to determine whether this anomaly is caused by external factors or Yansu's Law Pearl itself."

The strand of divine sense carefully checked again.

The Ascension Record had its own set of diagnostic techniques for the "illnesses" of the cultivation world. Corresponding to human illnesses, if the world became sick, various abnormal signs would naturally appear.

Under divine sense scanning, some clues were indeed found.

"Greed overwhelms, veiling one's own heart..."

Understanding this, after confirming the diagnostic results, the divine sense dissipated on its own.

Outside the light sphere, in the vast dark space, Law Transcending Celestial Li Fan had stood motionless for seven days and nights.

The white-haired old man knew that he was observing the internal situation of the Yansu's Law Sphere, so he didn't interfere.

He, along with the other three cultivators, was discussing possible solutions.

"At most, we can delay for another month."

"If it's really impossible, we should hurry and invite the Heavenly Physician."

"Easy to say. If I could have invited him earlier, I would have. The Heavenly Physician's whereabouts are elusive, and it's challenging to contact him. Moreover, this person acts according to his own preferences, not giving face even to the Law Transcenders."

...

The three of them deliberated, their brows still furrowed.

Meanwhile, Li Fan slowly regained consciousness.

Feeling the information transmitted by divine sense, he nodded inwardly. Then, imperceptibly, he shifted his gaze to the seemingly sleeping Yansu's Law Pearl.

"How is it? Any gains?" The white-haired old man didn't harbor much hope and casually asked.

To everyone's surprise, Li Fan nodded, "Close to certainty. However, a final confirmation is still needed."

"I didn't expect you to be so... Huh?" The white-haired old man suddenly looked at Li Fan, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"What did you just say? Close to certainty? What does that mean?" The old man's unusual reaction instantly attracted the attention of the other three Protectorate Hall cultivators.

In a flash, they surrounded Li Fan.

"Kid, not having the ability is fine. Just don't talk nonsense..."

(End of this chapter)