At this moment, Liu San interjected.
“Really? Such a formidable formation—why have I never heard of it?” He scrutinized Fang Zaiji, his gaze full of skepticism.
Fang Zaiji snorted coldly. “You’re just a mere servant, never having ventured far beyond the territory of the Medicine King Sect in your entire life. How could you possibly compare to someone like me, who has traveled across the world?”
“Besides, do you even know the kinds of people I associated with back in the day? Almost all of them were true disciples of the Ten Great Immortal Sects. It’s no surprise that I learned such secrets,” Fang Zaiji said proudly.
Being called a servant, Liu San didn’t get angry. Instead, he retorted sarcastically, “Oh? If you’re so incredible, then why didn’t anyone come to your aid when you were being hunted down? You only survived thanks to the old sect master!”
Fang Zaiji’s expression changed, and he retorted indignantly, “The Heavenly Sword Sect had issued a kill order—what could I do against that? The fact that I survived at all was already a stroke of great fortune. If it had been you, you’d have long since turned into a pile of bones!”
Seeing that the argument was about to escalate, Li Fan quickly spoke up to interrupt them.
“Master Fang, do you know the name of that formation?” Li Fan asked.
“I do not,” Fang Zaiji shook his head. “Back then, a direct disciple of the Supreme Sect mentioned it in passing with a sigh.”[1]
Hearing this, Li Fan slowly nodded.
“A blade hanging over all beings, capable of instantly stripping cultivators of their lives—this sounds strikingly similar to the [Tianxuan Spirit-Locking Formation] I encountered in my past life.”
“By harnessing the power of all living beings, it locks onto other cultivation realms. My previous speculation that the Xuanhuang Realm uses it to anchor a ‘rope’ into the distant void now seems to be correct.”
“From what I can tell, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance seems to have restored part of the formation’s functionality, but not entirely. And this formation was definitely not constructed by the Ten Great Immortal Sects—it originates from the much older era of the Xuantian Sect.”
As he pondered, Li Fan gradually connected all the clues together.
Now, with the aid of a Dao Integration cultivator, he proceeded with the relocation plan.
The people stranded on the island, including the now-awakened Medicine King Sect cultivators, were escorted by Liu San and Fang Zaiji aboard the Samantabhadra True Boat, setting off toward Longevity Valley ahead of him.
“I still have some unfinished business in Congyun Sea—I’ll catch up later,” Li Fan told them.
Although Liu San and Fang Zaiji were a little worried, they had no choice but to respect Li Fan’s decision.
After repeatedly cautioning him, they reluctantly left.
At this time, within the ruins of the Chaoyuan Sect, eerie phenomena had begun to surface. The boundaries between reality and illusion blurred, making it seem as if one had stepped into the ancient past, where they could retrieve cultivation techniques, pills, and magical artifacts from within the sect.
As word spread, the entire world was shaken. Cultivators, hearing the news, flocked to the ruins in droves. Among them, the Medicine King Sect’s group was barely noticeable in the massive crowd.
After sending everyone away, Li Fan first checked on Tianyang.
Within the enhanced Earth-Fire Origin Returning Formation, all the precious spiritual materials had been completely absorbed by Tianyang.
He himself seemed to be undergoing a transformation—his puppet body was now enveloped in a thick, black crystalline substance.
“Almost there. I hope you can make it in time for the grand event, little junior brother,” Li Fan thought to himself.
After bidding farewell to Tianyang, Li Fan did not return to Congyun City. Instead, he traveled hundreds of miles to Yin Yin Island.
Under the watchful eye of Formless Killing Intent, it seemed that Master Yin had recently completed yet another verification of the secrets behind the Immortal-Mortal Miasma.
The results remained unchanged.
He sat limply on the ground, as if all hope had been extinguished, motionless for a long time.
Li Fan quietly approached him, sensing a deep aura of death emanating from Master Yin.
Despite the sudden appearance of this cultivator, Master Yin showed no surprise.
However, he ignored him, merely casting a glance before withdrawing his gaze.
“Daoist Yin, what exactly did you discover in the Immortal-Mortal Miasma?”
After a long silence, Li Fan finally couldn’t resist asking.
In his perception, Master Yin’s cultivation was indeed at the Foundation Establishment stage. Even with his true form standing before him, he felt no danger.
“So, it was you watching me all along.” Master Yin did not answer the question but suddenly spoke. “I thought it was that damn heavens.”
He abruptly stood up and patted the dust off his clothes.
Ignoring Li Fan, he walked straight toward the underground chamber in the heart of the island.
As he walked, he spoke:
“Back then, I was nothing special—just a small Qi Condensation cultivator.”
“But one day, in my hometown, it rained.”
“What was terrifying was that every cultivator around me, everyone I knew, disappeared within that rain. Can you imagine that feeling?”
“One moment, they were talking to you, and in the next, they vanished before your eyes. The world became eerily silent. I searched frantically for those who had disappeared, but I found nothing.”
“It was as if I was the only one left in the world. But I didn’t know why—why was I the only one who remained alive?”
“And then…”
Master Yin arrived at a passage filled with his personal collection.
His tone suddenly grew agitated. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a flame, setting his collection ablaze.
Li Fan did not stop him. He simply watched as Master Yin’s expression shifted under the flickering flames and continued listening.
“The rain kept falling. It overflowed from the rivers, as if it intended to drown the entire land. And then, along with the rain, countless corpses began to descend from the sky.”
“Most were incomplete, mere fragments. But some were still whole.”
“I was almost paralyzed with fear. But when one of the more intact corpses landed right in front of me, I finally understood what true terror was.”
By this point, Master Yin had reached the deepest part of the underground chamber.
Light illuminated the space, revealing countless corpses identical to Master Yin himself.
Now that Li Fan had reached the Nascent Soul stage, his perception had become even keener. In his senses, these corpses seemed… alive.
The blurred flesh and tissue squirmed ever so slightly—imperceptible to the naked eye.
Master Yin pointed at the countless corpses littering the ground, his expression gradually turning maniacal.
“Yes, the corpse that fell before me that day—was my own!”
“In fact, every corpse that fell from the sky bore my exact face!”
“And they were all smiling at me!”
Master Yin’s eerie voice echoed through the underground chamber. The sinister truth he spoke of sent chills down the spine.
“How could such a terrifying thing happen in this world? Can you explain it?” He turned to Li Fan, staring at him blankly.
Li Fan could only remain silent.
“There is something wrong with this world.”
Master Yin lifted his head, gazing at the sky.
1. Tai Shang will be translated as Supreme Sect from now on.