“Move quickly! Stop looking around!”
Ten Thousand Immortal Island had almost been leveled to the ground, and the cultivators of the Five Elders Association began excavating the underground area.
Li Fan wanted to continue observing, but an armored cultivator rebuked him and forcibly relocated him from the area.
Several squads of armored cultivators formed a formation and drove the members of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance like a herd of sheep, forcing them to the entrance of a small cave at the bottom of a canyon.
At the entrance, there was a sinister wind blowing, exuding an eerie and terrifying atmosphere.
“Get in there! What are you waiting for?”
The leading armored cultivator struck the ground with his weapon, shouting like a thunderclap.
Among the group, there were some who looked resentful. They exchanged glances, seemingly plotting a resistance in secret.
However, the situation was against them, and after hesitating for a while, they ultimately yielded.
Li Fan, using a puppet body, naturally felt little fear.
However, to avoid drawing attention and to survive a bit longer, he pretended to be extremely fearful, following the group inside.
As soon as he stepped into the cave, the light vanished from sight.
The next moment, a scene completely different from what they had expected appeared before everyone.
It wasn’t a winding, dark passage inside the mountain; instead, they inexplicably found themselves in a lush, verdant valley.
In the distance, a wooden pavilion seemed visible.
Dozens of people were sitting cross-legged in front of the pavilion, listening to a scholar-like cultivator lecturing about something.
Seeing that it didn’t appear to be an interrogation or torture, the previously agitated cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance also calmed down.
They decided to observe the situation before taking further action.
Under the escort of the armored cultivators, the group slowly approached the pavilion.
Meanwhile, hidden among the group, Li Fan keenly noticed a peculiar change occurring to his body during the process, causing him to slightly change his expression.
As they continued to approach the scholar in the pavilion, their bodies seemed to be shrinking.
This change only affected the detained members of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance. The armored cultivators, the scholar, and even the surrounding scenery of the valley remained unchanged.
Although their speed of progress was not reduced, it felt as if they were getting farther away from their target.
This strange phenomenon caused a slight commotion among the members of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, but it was quickly suppressed.
“Move faster!”
In their eyes, the armored cultivators had already swelled to the size of small mountains.
Without the slightest mercy, they continued to urge them on.
For the first time, experiencing what it was like to see people from the perspective of ants, the members of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance found it difficult to remain calm.
Their faces gradually turned pale, and they subconsciously followed the orders of the armored cultivators.
As they continued moving forward, their bodies kept shrinking.
After spending nearly ten days, they finally arrived in front of the pavilion.
In their eyes, the scholar now looked like a towering mountain, reaching up to the sky.
“Sit down,” the scholar said gently.
But in their ears, it sounded like a great bell, filling the heavens and earth.
It echoed continuously in their minds.
It seemed to resonate deep within their souls, and even though they tried to block their senses, they couldn’t help but hear the scholar’s words in their minds.
So, they all lost control of their bodies and obediently sat down on the ground.
“What kind of Divine power is this?”
Everyone was horrified.
The armored cultivators all saluted the scholar, and seeing that the members of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance had already sat down, they quietly left.
The scholar glanced at the crowd and sighed softly, “Another group of lost lambs.”
“However, since you are fated to be here, I will not let you stray further.”
The crowd, who considered themselves part of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, naturally felt indignant upon hearing this.
“In your eyes, what do you think of our Five Elders Association?” At this moment, the scholar asked softly.
“Using soul contracts to control cultivators, absolutely evil!”
“Struggling on the brink of extinction. Within a thousand years, they will surely be destroyed by the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.”
“Ignorant and backward!”
“Though not virtuous, they have managed to contend with our Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance for so long, so there must be something commendable.”
…
Under the scholar’s questioning, everyone spoke out, giving their own answers.
But the horrified expressions on their faces clearly showed that their responses were not voluntary.
However, not all the cultivators lost control and responded to the scholar’s question.
At least the puppet body Li Fan was inhabiting wasn’t affected.
Some Nascent Soul cultivators also furrowed their brows, resisting the scholar’s control.
“Isn’t this just a group version of the Heavenly Doctor’s ‘Interrogation’ technique?” Li Fan was also deeply shocked.
“Although its power seems inferior to the Heavenly Doctor’s personal execution, the number of targets is vast.”
Li Fan remained highly vigilant, ready to abandon the puppet body at any moment.
Fortunately, the scholar did not pay much attention to Li Fan.
The crowd continued answering one by one.
The scholar smiled, listening attentively.
After a long time, the voices subsided, and the area outside the pavilion gradually quieted down.
The scholar shook his head and said, “Utter nonsense!”
“Do you know where our Five Elders Association originated?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“After the Immortal Venerable of Dao Transmission created a new path, the terrifying cultivation speed of unaffiliated cultivators led them to launch an assault on the immortal sects.”
“Meanwhile, the sects themselves were divided into two factions, fighting and killing each other.”
“However, before we could reach a conclusion…”
The scholar didn’t directly answer but began to recount history.
“The great calamity of heaven and earth descended, making it impossible to practice the same Dao.”
“The immortal sects suffered devastating blows, with less than one percent surviving.”
“Yet, having ruled the Xuanhuang Realm for ten thousand years, they were deeply rooted.”
“Some surviving sects escaped this catastrophe. They secluded themselves, waiting for the storm of bloodshed to pass.”
“When the killing ended, and darkness faded, they united once again on the ruins.”
“This was the embryonic form of the current Five Elders Association.”
Disregarding the stunned reactions, the scholar continued to speak slowly.
“The struggle between the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders Association is, in essence, still a battle between the old and new forces of cultivation.”
“All conflicts in this world largely stem from the oppression of the newcomers by the predecessors.”
“That’s why this battle has lasted for thousands of years and continues endlessly.”
“It will never stop until one side is completely defeated.”
“You are members of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance and have been deceived, so I do not blame you.”
The scholar showed a look of compassion.
The members of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, who were seated and listening to the scholar’s lecture, were all stunned.
Although they had long been accustomed to the existence of the Five Elders Association, it was their first time hearing about its origins.
Li Fan, however, was not as surprised as the others.
One of the Five Longevity Immortal Heavenly Sovereigns of the Five Elders Association, Senior Sister Zhao, was once the head of the Grand Dao Sect, one of the ten great immortal sects.
So the fact that the Five Elders Association was formed by the surviving members of the ancient sects was something Li Fan had already suspected.