Chapter 1072: How Can an Oath Be So Lightly Changed
Chapter 1072: How Can an Oath Be So Lightly Changed
"Once, I was a homeless orphan with barely a rag to my name and never enough food to eat. Every day was a desperate struggle for survival, a life lived in constant fear."
"It was only after I was fortunate enough to become a Dharma Transmitter that my destiny was forever altered. It was then that I truly began to understand the meaning of life."
Dharma Transmitter Feng's voice echoed through the circular hall, his face etched with fond remembrance.
He went on to vividly describe the brutal battles against the Ten Great Immortal Sects, the cautious retreat when the Great Calamity struck, and the sheer elation when, thousands of years later, the Dharma Spreader reappeared to rebuild the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance upon the ashes of the old world.
His words seemed to transport all the Dharma Transmitters in attendance back to that tumultuous era.
Finally, Dharma Transmitter Feng declared with unwavering conviction, "I, Feng Rui, pledge my eternal loyalty to the Dharma Spreader and my undying faithfulness to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."
"For all my lives to come, my heart will never waver!"
"Just as it was in the beginning!"
High above the circular hall, the phantoms of countless fallen heroes began to glow faintly, casting their light down upon Feng Rui.
Feng Rui held his head high, chest puffed out, proudly accepting the scrutiny of all present as if it were the highest honor.
All the Dharma Transmitters present, including Jiang, were stirred by an indescribable emotion.
They knew that Feng Rui had passed the trial of the Dharma Transmitter's Oath.
Zhou, Wei, and Huang, however, cast an imperceptible glance toward the solemn-faced Li Fan.
As Feng Rui returned from the center of the hall, the assembled Dharma Transmitters broke into thunderous applause, a show of respect and celebration.
Following him, the other Dharma Transmitters who had been detected practicing Xuantian Sect techniques took to the stage one by one.
Without exception, every one of them passed the scrutiny of the Dharma Transmitter's Oath flawlessly.
"What is going on here?"
"Could it be that you've been fabricating lies to deceive us from the very beginning?" Wei's expression turned ugly as he challenged Li Fan loudly, right in front of all the other Dharma Transmitters.
His question, while appearing to be an outburst of fury and shame at being deceived, was in fact a calculated move to shift the conflict and draw a clear line in the sand.
Li Fan's immortal puppet remained expressionless.
The situation in the circular hall had taken a truly unexpected turn, escalating beyond the puppet's capacity to handle. It now awaited a decision from its true self.
Far away in the Spirit Wood Realm, the real Li Fan, who was controlling the puppet remotely, mulled it over. In the end, he decided against revealing the footage captured by the formation—the very proof of Mo Rubin possessing Feng Rui.
He knew they could easily dismiss it with a single claim—"The footage is a forgery"—and turn his own evidence against him.
After all, now that Feng Rui had passed the trial of the Dharma Transmitter's Oath, his identity as one of them had been legitimized.
"This Feng Rui... he is actually, genuinely loyal to the cause from the bottom of his heart..."
"This situation presents two possibilities."
"Either the Dharma Spreader is, in fact, the Xuantian King, making the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the old Xuantian Sect two sides of the same coin. In that case, Mo Rubin could naturally declare all this without hesitation."
"Or..."
"Mo Rubin has already left Dharma Transmitter Feng's body. The Feng Rui we see now is indeed the real Dharma Transmitter."
"What is the truth?" The real Li Fan's thoughts raced.
Scenes from his past interactions with Mo Rubin flashed through his mind.
Even though their interactions had been a charade, the true intent behind some of Mo Rubin's words had been impossible to fully conceal or alter.
Li Fan instantly made a decision.
"If I guess wrong, it's just the loss of one immortal puppet."
Feeling no burden at the prospect, Li Fan immediately issued his instructions.
In the circular hall.
Facing the doubtful gazes of the assembled Dharma Transmitters, Li Fan's immortal puppet offered no explanation.
Instead, he looked directly at Dharma Transmitter Jiang. "I have something to say, but only to you."
His words immediately sparked discontent among the attendees.
We're all brothers here. What could you have to say that can only be heard by Dharma Transmitter Jiang?
A commotion rippled through the hall.
However, seeing the sincerity in Li Fan's eyes, Jiang thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.
With a light wave of his hand, Jiang conjured a circular, isolated chamber in the center of the hall.
The phantoms of the heroic martyrs manifested outside the chamber, blocking any prying eyes.
Li Fan's body was drawn uncontrollably inside.
"Whatever you wish to say, you may speak freely now. Only I can hear you here," Dharma Transmitter Jiang stated calmly.
"How well do you know Feng Rui and the other three?" Li Fan asked with a smile.
"The movements of every Dharma Transmitter within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance do not escape my sight. Every action they take, every resource they mobilize, is under my watch. I simply choose to look the other way. They are all well aware of this fact."
Li Fan pressed on. "Then in your estimation, besides yourself, how many of the twenty-seven others here today do you believe could truly pass the Dharma Transmitter's Oath?"
"That Feng Rui and the other three passed the oath's trial so flawlessly... don't you find that strange?"
Dharma Transmitter Jiang fell silent.
He had witnessed the conduct of his fellow Dharma Transmitters over the years.
He knew, of course, that they had indeed grown excessively reckless and indulgent.
But it had never threatened the overall stability of the Alliance, and they were, after all, his comrades—men who had crawled out of mountains of the dead alongside him.
So he turned a blind eye.
But to claim that after all these years, their hearts and minds had remained unchanged from the beginning...
He didn't believe it.
Perhaps a few still did, but they would be the rare exception.
From the moment Feng Rui and the other three passed the great oath with such flawless, righteous conviction, Dharma Transmitter Jiang had known something was amiss.
Still, to have it pointed out so directly by an outsider left him with a faint sense of melancholy.
After a moment of contemplation, Dharma Transmitter Jiang responded, "Regardless, they have publicly verified their oaths. That alone proves they are still qualified to hold their positions. No one, aside from the Heavenly Venerate himself, can strip them of their authority."
"As for those who are pulling strings behind the scenes..."
"I will personally take action and drag them out."
Li Fan nodded immediately. "I can assist you."
Dharma Transmitter Jiang gave a noncommittal response.
The circular chamber vanished, leaving only Jiang standing alone in the center of the hall.
"Feng Rui and the others have been cleared of all suspicion! They remain the most loyal Dharma Transmitters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance!"
"Just like all of you!"
"As for the scoundrel who slandered them with baseless rumors, I have already eliminated him."
Jiang proclaimed, setting the final, definitive tone for the entire affair.
The assembled Dharma Transmitters responded with applause.
After exchanging a few more official pleasantries, Jiang declared the assembly concluded.
The Dharma Transmitters departed one after another.
Feng Rui and the other three, however, were asked by Dharma Transmitter Jiang to stay behind via a private transmission, with the explanation that he needed to inquire about a few more specific details.
Naturally, Feng Rui and the other three held nothing back, telling him everything they knew.
After learning in detail from them what had transpired over the past few weeks.
Dharma Transmitter Jiang then nodded slightly and let them go.
Now, he was the only one left in the circular assembly hall.
At that moment, Li Fan's figure slowly materialized.
(End of this chapter)
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