Outside the void of Tianling Prefecture, Li Fan, who had successfully stolen the Five Elements Grand Cave Heaven and broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, was preparing to quietly escape.
However, he noticed that a cultivator named Sun Qi, stationed below, seemed to vaguely perceive his presence.
Sun Qi even had a faint awareness of his Formless Killing Intent.
It was important to note that even ordinary Dao Integration cultivators would have difficulty detecting the Formless Killing Intent Li Fan unleashed while still at the Nascent Soul stage under the guise of false destiny.
Yet, this seemingly insignificant Golden Core cultivator managed to perceive it.
This series of signs indicated that Sun Qi was no ordinary person. As a result, Li Fan casually released a Formless Killing Intent to lock onto him.
For a long time, Sun Qi showed no unusual behavior. Like any ordinary cultivator, he practiced diligently and carried out missions assigned by the Immortal Alliance.
That was until recently, when the Lord of Tianling City, Sun Liancheng, approached him and handed him a Floral Invitation.
Within the Maze Zone, Li Fan, who was watching events unfold from millions of miles away, hesitated slightly in his movements.
“Brother Li, are you struggling to hold on?” Huangfu Song’s voice pulled him back to reality.
Dongfang Yao shouted, “Stay behind me! Huangfu, how much longer?”
“Just 1% left! Once this Maze Zone is fully resolved, hold on a little longer!” Huangfu Song called out.
“Damn it, hurry up!” Dongfang Yao roared, punching out and shattering dozens of lurking Shadow Beasts into fragments.
Li Fan looked outward—countless Black Shadow Beasts surged in from all directions like tidal waves, surrounding the three of them completely.
This was already the third Maze Zone they had explored during this period.
Compared to the previous two, which were barren and lifeless, the danger level here had suddenly multiplied several times over.
The seemingly calm ground was filled with strange Shadow Beasts hiding among jagged rocks.
During the daytime, they remained relatively dormant.
But as night fell and a crimson moon rose, the eerie beasts seemed to come alive under its orange-red glow.
They launched relentless assaults on the intruders—Li Fan and his companions.
These Shadow Beasts were not only swift and elusive but also incredibly lethal.
Even with Dongfang Yao’s formidable physical strength, he was left covered in wounds after taking a few hits from their claws.
What frustrated Li Fan and the others the most was that, no matter how much effort they put into slaughtering the crazed Shadow Beasts each night,
When the crimson moon rose again the following evening, the beasts reappeared in full force.
Not only did their numbers remain unchanged, but they also seemed to retain memories of the previous night’s battle.
This plunged Li Fan and his companions into a bitter struggle.
They barely managed to hold on, exhausting almost all their supplies in the process.
By the third day, before they could even finish exploring the entire Maze Zone,
The crimson moon descended earlier than expected.
Their situation immediately became critical.
Fortunately, both Huangfu Song and Dongfang Yao were powerful, while Li Fan had concealed the vast majority of his true cultivation and combat prowess.
As a result, despite the constant peril, they remained unscathed.
Though their defensive line appeared on the verge of collapse under the Shadow Beasts’ relentless assault, it held firm—unyielding and unwavering.
Finally, when the Heaven-Measuring Mirror completed its full data recording,
The trio unleashed their full power, instantly clearing the surrounding area.
Then, the Samantabhadra True Boat shot into the sky, racing toward the crimson moon above.
Even though the Shadow Beasts had gone completely berserk, they still couldn’t stop them. They could only watch helplessly as Li Fan and the others flew into the Crimson Moon.
“Damn, that was way too close!” Dongfang Yao, covered in blood, couldn’t help but curse when he saw the familiar white mist around them.
“In the future, we shouldn’t listen to you anymore, Huangfu. If we had followed Brother Li’s plan from the start—avoiding an all-out battle on the first night and instead fighting while exploring—we would have completed the progress long ago and made our escape.” Complaining, he took a deep breath, and the deep, bone-exposing wounds on his body wriggled as they slowly healed.
“Hey, you can’t blame me for that. It’s all because of those damn Immortal Alliance rules. There’s a huge difference in rewards between 99% and 100% exploration—the reward points literally double! It’s practically forcing us to explore the entire Maze Zone.” Huangfu Song wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, looking somewhat innocent.
Li Fan, on the other hand, remained calm. “After all, the real danger is likely hidden within that last 1%. A full 100% exploration means eliminating all risks. The Immortal Alliance’s approach makes sense.”
“Let’s check our earnings this time. We gained another 1,600 points, plus what we had before…”
“Only 2,400 points.”
The expressions of the three turned sour.
“Didn’t expect such a huge difference in value between different Maze Zone.”
“I really miss the days when earning 30,000 Qingxuan points was effortless…” Dongfang Yao muttered.
“Shut up already!” Huangfu Song snapped irritably.
Li Fan didn’t join their bickering; instead, he focused on the Qingxuan Points exchange list displayed on the Heaven-Measuring Mirror.
“Dissociation Disc: 50,000 Qingxuan Points.”
“Remaining stock: 8.”
Li Fan sneered internally. “So they finally pulled this thing out to bait people. I wonder which poor fool bought the first one.”
This time, possibly to encourage cultivators to explore the white mist further, the rare items on the Qingxuan Points exchange list had limited stock—once exchanged, they were gone for good.
However, the rewards were indeed generous. Aside from the nine Dissociation Discs, the list also included the [Spirit of the Xuan Mirror] and [Endstone Plate].
The Spirit of the Xuan Mirror was a sentient consciousness with a decent level of intelligence. It could be fused into any magical treasure, significantly enhancing its power.
As for the Endstone Plate, it was a newly emerged secondary artifact. It appeared as a circular stone plate, hence its name.
Its exact function had yet to be discovered.
“This Endstone Plate Plate… seems to be the [Calamity Destruction Stone Plate]. In my previous life, the Heaven-Suppressing Society used this item to mass-produce [Calamity Stones], which could block the Mysterious Net’s detection. It took their cultivators years of research to uncover its true potential. Since the item has only just emerged, it makes sense that the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance hasn’t figured out its effects yet.”
“100,000 Qingxuan Points, huh…”
Li Fan stroked his chin, recalling the areas he had secretly noted along the way—places where the wails of the “Tian Yi” could be heard continuously.
Based on his experiences so far, not every Maze Zone emitted the faint sound of the “Tian Yi.”
However, whenever the “Tian Yi” sound appeared, it always meant that a Maze Zone could be found nearby.
“It shouldn’t all be the experimental grounds of that Heavenly Sovereign who reversed life and death.”
“A bit risky, but not necessarily impossible to explore.”
A sense of eagerness stirred in Li Fan’s heart.
While his true self was exploring the white mist, in the Beast Realm, Xu Bai had already prepared to head to the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
“Sect Master, why are you taking off all the protective artifacts I refined for you? Are you dissatisfied with me or something?” Fang Zaiji panicked as he saw Xu Bai remove the folding fan, white robe, scented pouch, and other items one by one.
Xu Bai chuckled lightly. “Once I arrive at the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, if real danger arises, these items won’t be of much use.”
“Rather than letting them be buried along with my clone, it’s better to leave them here.”
Liu San shot a fierce glare at Fang Zaiji before reassuring Xu Bai, “Young Master, you need not worry. I asked Daoist Jiao about this—the Immortal Alliance cultivators who use the Derivative Jade Token have almost never encountered any accidents. Nearly all of them return safely.”
“Your clone should be no exception.”
Xu Bai waved his hand dismissively. “You two don’t need to worry. It’s just a clone. Even if it’s lost, I can refine another one.”
“Elder Liu, is the [Great Dream Spring and Autumn Formation] ready?”
Liu San nodded solemnly. “We have already linked your clone’s consciousness to a blank node. If an irresistible force intervenes, it will help him maintain clarity of thought for a brief moment.”
“That’s sufficient.” Xu Bai smiled.
Then, he set off alone from the Longevity Valley.
Using the teleportation formation, he traveled across multiple prefecture and arrived in Fuyu Prefecture, located in the central region of the Immortal Alliance.
In a secluded area, he activated the Derivative Jade Token.
Moments later, a square-shaped gate appeared out of thin air. A black-clothed cultivator stepped out from within.
After glancing at the Derivative Jade Token in Li Fan’s hand, the black-clothed cultivator said nothing.
He simply led Li Fan through the transparent portal.
A brief moment of dizziness followed, and Li Fan immediately realized he had arrived inside the headquarters of the Immortal Alliance.
Unlike the Statue of the Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor he had seen in his past life, this time, upon entering the headquarters with his clone, he saw a different vision—a thin and solitary figure.
Hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the sky, letting out a soft sigh.
“Before us, The path to immortality lies ahead, yet it cannot be treaded. The Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor stands above!”