Chapter 1076: A Sudden Return to the Dreamscape
Chapter 1076: A Sudden Return to the Dreamscape
"Junior Brother?"
"Why were you spacing out for so long? Don't tell me you were already daydreaming about all those fun places I mentioned?"
"Don't worry. Once this is all over, I'll take you to experience all of it—the Red Dust Quarter, the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, you name it!"
Zhang Qianmo's voice snapped Li Fan out of his deep contemplation.
"Protecting the mortals of Ningyuan City from disaster, is it..." Gazing at the roguish Zhang Qianmo before him, an idea sparked in Li Fan's mind.
In truth, Li Fan had little interest in becoming the Xuanhuang Great Heavenly Venerate.
For one, under the new cultivation system, the Heavenly Venerate's power was a shadow of its former glory, far from enough to suppress an entire realm single-handedly.
Moreover, becoming the Heavenly Venerate would mean confronting the two ruling powers of the Xuanhuang Realm, and might even draw out the Dharma Spreader himself.
Besides, what if he did become the all-powerful Heavenly Venerate of a golden age, capable of suppressing the entire realm?
Power inevitably comes with responsibility. Becoming the Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerate would mean being shackled, binding him to the Xuanhuang Realm more deeply than any ordinary Longevity Immortal, making escape nearly impossible.
Li Fan's goal was not merely the Longevity stage.
What he yearned for was to leave this Darkest Star Sea, sealed off by the High Wall, and attain true transcendence and freedom.
However...
Having lofty ideals didn't prevent him from first testing his theory about the trial of the "Heart of Xuanhuang" and whether it was truly as he suspected.
He had replayed the scenario of retrieving the Longevity Fruit from Ningyuan countless times. Now, with a clear objective, a plan quickly formed in his mind.
"Senior Brother, I was in a daze just now... it felt like I had a dream," he said slowly, feigning a bewildered expression.
"A dream?" Zhang Qianmo blinked.
"Senior Brother, have you secretly cultivated a purple Golden Core?" Li Fan didn't answer directly, but asked another question instead.
The moment the words left his lips, Zhang Qianmo's gaze sharpened instantly. "How do you know that?"
A dangerous aura flared around him in that same instant, subtly locking onto Li Fan.
Li Fan seemed oblivious, his face a mask of shock. "You mean... what I saw in my dream was real?"
"Hmm?" Zhang Qianmo's expression grew stern.
"Senior Brother, do you happen to remember a man named Chu Liang?" Li Fan immediately recounted what he had seen in his "dream"—the whole story of how they were about to be ambushed by scoundrels in Ningyuan City.
"Now that you mention it, I do recall. There was indeed someone like that back in the day..."
"To think he joined some Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and now dares to plot against our Purple Heaven Sect's secret arts?" A purple gleam flashed in Zhang Qianmo's eyes, his killing intent palpable.
With that, he was about to fly into the city to drag out those hidden insects and exterminate them one by one.
"Senior Brother, wait!" Li Fan quickly stopped him.
"This was just something I saw in a dream, after all. We have no concrete evidence. If it turns out to be nothing..."
Zhang Qianmo scoffed. "So what if I kill them? Do you think someone would dare punish us over such a trivial matter?"
Li Fan gave a wry smile. "We finally got a chance to leave the mountain for this mission to collect the Longevity Fruit. If we cause a stir, Master might not let us out again. It's better to be cautious."
Hearing this, Zhang Qianmo's killing intent finally subsided a little.
"How about this," Li Fan suggested. "Let's send a message from outside the city and call out Steward Song Hesong. We'll seize him directly. If he resists and displays a level of cultivation beyond his supposed realm..."
Li Fan paused. "...then that will prove my dream was real. With that evidence, we'll have something to report back to the sect."
Zhang Qianmo considered it for a moment, then nodded slightly. "You've thought this through, Junior Brother. We'll do it your way."
And so, the two quietly approached Ningyuan City and sent a message from a distance.
After a good while, Song Hesong finally ambled over.
"Greetings, Senior..."
Song Hesong was in the middle of bowing when two bolts of Purple Clouds Divine Lightning crashed down on his head.
"When was I exposed?" Alarm and fury surged in Song Hesong's heart as he instinctively unleashed his spiritual power to block the lightning.
He was about to notify his accomplices hiding in the city to strike early, only to find the surrounding space sealed. His heart sank.
"Though I can only use Li Chen's own strength, my mastery of formations is more than sufficient."
"Setting up an array on the fly to trap a mere Golden Core cultivator is child's play."
The formation Li Fan had deployed wasn't overly astonishing; it was a slight modification of a Purple Heaven Sect array from this body's memories.
Zhang Qianmo noticed his junior brother's handiwork. "Well, well, I always wondered what you were doing cooped up in your room all day. So you were studying formations all by yourself?"
There was a note of pleasant surprise in Zhang Qianmo's voice as he drew his long halberd and engaged Song Hesong in battle.
Although Song Hesong was a Golden Core cultivator, and Zhang Qianmo was only using his Foundation Establishment strength without resorting to his purple core, it made little difference.
With the combined efforts of the two brothers, aided by the formation, it wasn't long before Song Hesong was captured alive.
Zhang Qianmo was decisive, immediately using the Purple Clouds Soul Viewing Technique.
After a brief struggle, Song Hesong collapsed limply to the ground like a pile of sludge.
Zhang Qianmo's face was grim. "Junior Brother, your vision was right on the mark! This damn dog!"
He raised a hand to execute Song Hesong on the spot, but Li Fan stopped him.
"He's still an outer-sect steward. We should take him back and let the sect deal with him."
Zhang Qianmo shook his head. "Ah, Junior Brother, you're good at everything, but you're too soft-hearted. Fine, have it your way."
Li Fan just smiled and said nothing.
"There are still a few more of those Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance thugs in the city. I'll go round them up now."
"Wait!" Li Fan stopped Zhang Qianmo again.
"Now what?" Zhang Qianmo asked, exasperated.
"Senior Brother, what do you really think of this Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?" Li Fan asked gravely.
"A worthless rabble, nothing to be afraid of!" Zhang Qianmo declared proudly.
"Is that really true?" Li Fan pressed, his gaze fixed on his senior brother.
"Uh..." Zhang Qianmo hesitated, looking at Li Fan's serious expression.
He then amended his statement, "Alright. This new cultivation method is truly bizarre... for someone with mediocre talent like Song Hesong to advance from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core in just a few short years. If we don't handle this seriously, it could become a major disaster."
"Exactly. That's what I was thinking too. The righteous immortal sects don't seem to be taking this Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance seriously yet. Why don't we use this opportunity..."
Li Fan suggested via voice transmission.
Zhang Qianmo's expression shifted. "You mean... lure the snake out of its hole?"
Li Fan nodded. "Precisely. We can use this chance to draw out all the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators in the vicinity of our Purple Heaven Sect's territory, and then... wipe them out in one fell swoop!"
(End of Chapter)
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