“It’s nothing more than a struggle for interests, so why distinguish between good and evil?”
“If we were truly as evil as they say, how could we have withstood the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance’s assaults for a thousand years without being defeated?”
The scholar raised a powerful question again.
Many of the cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance looked thoughtful after hearing this.
However, more of them appeared confused, as if their values were being deeply challenged.
“Very well, let me first give you an introduction to the current situation of the Five Elders Association.”
The scholar’s enormous figure stood towering between heaven and earth, filling everyone’s view as he began to speak.
“Now, the territory of the Five Elders Association is divided into five parts.”
“Each of the five Heavenly Sovereigns governs their own domain.”
“Let me speak only of the current place you find yourselves in—the [Humane Heavenly Domain].”
The scholar’s words drew the attention of all the cultivators present, including Li Fan.
“Each of the five Heavenly Sovereigns defies the natural order and creates their own unique region.”
“In our [Humane Heavenly Domain], the most important principle is the way of the Heavenly Sovereign’s Dao.”
“It is also the cosmic law, which everyone must follow and none can defy.”
The scholar paused and revealed the origin of the name [Humane Heavenly Domain].
“Compared to heaven and earth, human beings are but insignificant creatures.”
“The body and name may perish, but the rivers and mountains will endure for ages.”
“Even cultivators who can stir seas and rivers, seemingly altering the shape of heaven and earth, will find that the rivers flow anew once more. After their death, everything becomes empty and their past achievements vanish like bubbles, no longer existing.”
“Only the Longevity Immortal Heavenly Sovereign, who defies the laws of heaven and earth, can truly change the heavens and earth!”
“Why is it that only the Longevity Immortal Heavenly Sovereign can accomplish such a grand feat?”
“In our [Humane Heavenly Domain], changing the heavens and earth is something anyone can achieve!”
The scholar’s words resounded forcefully.
Hearing this, everyone felt a surge of courage, yet many were puzzled.
Several cultivators, emboldened, asked, “Sir, what do you mean by saying that anyone can change the heavens and earth?”
The scholar smiled faintly, “When you arrived, did you see the vast and radiant starlight?”
Everyone nodded.
“In truth, those are not real stars but former cultivators.” The scholar’s words echoed like thunder across the heavens and earth.
With a wave of his massive hand, the originally bright sky instantly dimmed.
The darkness lasted only for a moment, then was illuminated again by countless stars.
“In the Humane Heavenly Domain, regardless of cultivation level, as long as one possesses sufficient faith and courage, they can transform into a star and ascend to the firmament.”
“While eternally shining upon the world, they can also alter the original shape of the heavens and earth.”
“A long time ago, in the Humane Heavenly Domain, there was a young man born between two great mountains.”
The scholar began telling a story again.
“The mountains were obstructive, making it very difficult to come and go. The villagers lived in extreme poverty because of this. The young man, seeing such circumstances, made a grand vow in his youth to completely level these two mountains and carve out a path for his kin.”
“The place was remote, and few people visited. The young man did not know there were immortals in the world; he only tried to dig the mountains with human effort.”
“Though he faced misunderstanding and ridicule, he never wavered or regretted his resolve.”
“With persistence, even metal and stone can be split. A hundred years passed, and when the young man had become an elderly man, nearing death, he still did not change his will.”
“After his death, he transformed into a star and ascended to the sky. Under the light of his star, the two mountains vanished without a trace.”
“This is an example of a mortal body completely changing the heavens and earth.”
“If a mere mortal can do so, how much more could a cultivator? In the Humane Heavenly Domain, there have been countless examples of altering heaven and earth!”
…
While Li Fan’s puppet body was immersed in the scholar’s narration,
his true self had already arrived at Shilin Prefecture through a teleportation array.
The Ten Thousand Immortal Island had been abducted, and all teleportation points leading to the Congyun Sea had been rendered ineffective.
He had no choice but to settle for the next best option and travel through the teleportation array to the neighboring Shilin Prefecture.
When he attempted to fly into the Congyun Sea, Li Fan suddenly discovered that the entire Congyun Sea was enveloped in an invisible barrier.
It was sealed off, preventing outsiders from entering.
“It seems they finally reacted and imposed martial law.” Li Fan narrowed his eyes but did not force his way in.
Instead, his true body returned to the nearby Immortal City, and his attention shifted to his clone, Zhou Qing’ang.
Ignoring the continuous notifications from the communication talismans on his body, the clone flew straight to the place where the Ten Thousand Immortal Island used to be.
Along the way, many fearful cultivators, unsure of what had happened, were also heading towards the Ten Thousand Immortal Island.
Only after losing the teleportation formation did they realize how precious instantaneous travel was.
It took more than ten days for the clone to reach his destination.
By then, a large number of cultivators had already gathered here, pointing and whispering among themselves.
At the center of the crowd was a massive black void.
The surrounding seawater seemed to be obstructed by some force, unable to flow into the black hole.
In the blue sea, the black hole’s presence looked so strange and out of place.
Seeing this, Li Fan couldn’t help but frown slightly.
“This appearance, how does it resemble the time when I first saw the Sea of Crimson Flames?”
“Could it be…”
A thought surfaced in his mind, causing Li Fan to be momentarily stunned.
When he had initially seen the disappearance of the Ten Thousand Immortal Island and the lingering, intense energy around the void,
he had instinctively thought that Crimson Flame must have acted and completely destroyed the Ten Thousand Immortal Island.
Indeed, it looked very much like it.
But since he hadn’t witnessed the island’s destruction firsthand, there was always the possibility of a second explanation.
That was, like the current world, the Ten Thousand Immortal Island had been completely relocated through some method.
Moreover, later, when Crimson Flame was killed and Ink Death appeared in the world,
he still hadn’t seen the destruction of the Ten Thousand Immortal Island with his own eyes.
Because before the island completely disappeared, he had been consumed by the black particles.
Thinking about the Five Elders Association forcibly abducting the Ten Thousand Immortal Island this time, Li Fan couldn’t help but be stunned.
“Could it be that the Ten Thousand Immortal Island really harbors some secret?”
Recalling the various secret histories he had read, none of them mentioned anything about this.
Li Fan began to doubt his own judgment again.
“This doesn’t make sense either. If the Ten Thousand Immortal Island really hid something, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance would certainly be aware. They should have guarded it strictly. How could they have allowed the Five Elders Association to take it so easily?”
While Li Fan was racking his brain, he overheard a cultivator among the onlookers sigh, “Truly, the world is unpredictable. Who would have thought that the original place where the Dao Transmission Immortal Venerable spread his teachings would disappear like this?”
Li Fan was slightly taken aback.
He quickly stepped forward and greeted the cultivator.
Then he asked, “Fellow Daoist, just now you mentioned the ‘original place where the Dao Transmission Immortal Venerable spread his teachings’—what do you mean by that?”