“This…”
Huangfu and Dongfang, who had narrowly escaped death, were both pale, cold sweat streaming down their foreheads.
They stared blankly at the long, gaping void not far away, rendered speechless.
If Li Fan had been even a step slower just now, the three people on the Samantabhadra True Boat would have already been pulverized into dust!
Swallowing hard, Huangfu’s legs softened, and he almost collapsed onto the deck.
“What the hell was that…” Dongfang Yao, being a bit more courageous, managed to recover from his shock, forcibly suppressing his fear as he cautiously looked outside the boat.
The destructive power of the black pillar of light was terrifying beyond imagination. Even after a long time, the Devouring Essence White Mist that had been pierced through still had not recovered.
Moreover, the black light seemed to contain some strange corrosive power. Even though the light pillar had dissipated by now, just looking at that void from a distance gave everyone an unsettling sense of impending danger.
“Hey, how about we move farther away for now? If another one comes, we’re dead for sure,” Dongfang Yao whispered, after carefully observing for a while.
“Not high…”
Before he could finish the word “high,” Li Fan’s expression changed again.
He instantly circulated his spiritual energy to the maximum, pouring it into the Samantabhadra True Boat, making it suddenly accelerate and soar upward a considerable distance.
Just as he finished this, another terrifying black pillar of light shot out from the depths of the white mist.
This time, it was even more dangerous than before—the Samantabhadra True Boat narrowly evaded it. Even through the boat’s hull, they could feel the suffocating, all-destroying power of the black light.
Having been frightened twice in such a short period, Huangfu finally couldn’t take it anymore and collapsed directly onto the deck.
Li Fan, having just been proven wrong, cursed inwardly but maintained his unwavering determination, suppressing his instinct to flee and remaining steadfastly still.
After that, sure enough, seven more black pillars of light blasted out from the depths of the white mist, almost sweeping across the entire area.
The Devouring Essence White Mist, which had existed for tens of thousands of years, seemed to have been scoured by this world-shattering power, becoming significantly thinner.
This magnificent and terrifying scene left all three on the boat stunned and speechless.
“World-Suppressing Ultimate Weapon… This is the Sky-Splitting Cannon of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance!” Huangfu Song suddenly exclaimed as if recalling something.
His words immediately drew the attention of Li Fan and Dongfang Yao.
“World-Suppressing Ultimate Weapon?” Li Fan’s eyes flickered with curiosity.
The so-called World-Suppressing Ultimate Weapons are powerful treasures capable of altering the course of war between two sides, renowned for their unmatched destructive power.
During the previous Friendly Exchange between the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders Association, both sides had each showcased one of these weapons. It was said that the demonstration had caused many militant cultivators to change their original stance.
The existence of World-Suppressing Ultimate Weapons is considered classified information within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, and ordinary cultivators rarely get to witness them.
Who would have thought that Li Fan and the others would encounter one here?
Moreover, it was fully operational, seemingly engaged in a battle with something…
“Could it be that they’ve gotten into a fight with the Five Elders Association again?” The Samantabhadra True Boat fell silent for a moment before Dongfang Yao couldn’t help but whisper his guess.
“It shouldn’t be…” Huangfu Song replied hesitantly, though it was clear he still harbored some concerns. Taking out a Communication Talisman, he contacted someone briefly before finally breathing a sigh of relief.
“Stop being so paranoid. It’s just the Immortal Alliance Martial Hall clearing out a Maze Zone. We were just unlucky enough to run into them.” Huangfu Song shot Dongfang Yao a glare.
“What kind of Maze Zone requires such a massive weapon? And there wasn’t even a warning! If it weren’t for Brother Li reacting quickly, we’d all be dead here. It’s really reckless disregard for human life!” Dongfang Yao cursed angrily.
“Just stop talking,” Huangfu Song quickly urged him to calm down.
Meanwhile, Li Fan stared deeply into the depths of the white mist, riddled with countless holes. Even from a great distance, he could faintly sense the spiritual energy fluctuations coming from there.
After waiting a while and confirming that the Sky-Splitting Cannon bombardment had ceased, the three of them piloted the Saman True Boat and quickly left the area.
“Have you two thought about what items to exchange for?” On the way back to the city to purchase supplies, Huangfu Song opened the Heaven-Measuring Mirror’s item list, happily browsing through it while asking.
“I’ve got my eye on that technique that nourishes the body by eating. Even though I have a special constitution that can recover from most injuries instantly, I still feel like there might be hidden internal damage. It’s not a big deal in daily life, but I’m worried it might hold me back when breaking through to higher realms.” Dongfang Yao spoke honestly, laying out his plans without reservation.
“Heh, I’ve got my sights set on the Tianxuan Secondary Body, the Dissociation Disc. There are still six left, and if we act fast enough, we might still have a chance.” Huangfu Song chuckled but didn’t explain why he chose it.
“What about you, Brother Li?” Dongfang Yao asked curiously.
“I’ll take my time and look around first—no rush to decide.” Li Fan replied calmly.
However, when they arrived at Tianyu City, the originally relaxed trio suddenly grew anxious.
It turned out that the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance’s Decree had been officially issued.
Cultivators from all over the world moved at the news. Friends gathered in small groups, and countless Samantabhadra True Boat rushed out from every corner of the Xuanhuang Realm, racing toward the white mist.
The Great Exploration Era had officially begun!
Although those without powerful backers or connections had missed the initial opportunity and fallen behind in exploration progress, their sheer numbers remained overwhelming. Who could say whether one or two of them might defy the odds and stumble upon a place as significant as the Reversal Life-and-Death Maze Zone?
If someone were lucky enough to discover a similarly important location, they would instantly earn 30,000 Qingxuan Points.
To put it in perspective, even after risking their lives, Li Fan and his group had only managed to accumulate a little over 21,000 points! In the face of truly favored individuals, this meager head start meant nothing at all!
After hastily restocking essential supplies, they didn’t even take a break before plunging back into the white mist.
It was worth mentioning that the supposedly “cheap” yet highly effective Longevity Pills that Li Fan had “accidentally” purchased had now, with the arrival of the Great Exploration Era, suddenly flooded the Immortal Alliance Market like bamboo shoots after the rain.
Every city’s Qianli Hall had them available for purchase.
“I wonder which organization is behind these Longevity Pills—they don’t even need to explore the white mist like we do. Just relying on this single pill, they must be making a fortune.”
Looking at the crowds swarming the Qianli Hall to buy Longevity Pills, Huangfu Song couldn’t help but speak with a hint of envy.