Chapter 1100: An Old Acquaintance Made into an Immortal Puppet
“Even when one of our own dies in the Gloomy Sea of Darkness, it’s nothing like this.”
“It’s too light... far too light.”
The You Clan leader's explanation instantly clarified everything for Li Fan.
Their judgment was based on the disturbances it caused within the Gloomy Sea of Darkness.
Mo Rubin’s corpse showed none of the usual signs of a creature that had died.
“Either it’s merely an empty shell, a decoy, or...”
“...this man was so favored by the Gloom that upon his death, the vast majority of his spiritual essence instantly returned to the Sea. All that remained was the decaying shell, left to dissolve slowly into the darkness,” the You Clan leader suddenly offered another possibility.
“However, not even the most powerful shaman in our history came close to this state after death. That's why I'm more inclined to believe we're looking at nothing more than an empty shell.”
Hearing this, Li Fan's eyes flickered.
“Still, he couldn't afford to be careless. The Xuantian Sect was devious beyond measure, with an endless array of tricks. He had to remain vigilant.”
“Whether he's truly dead or not, it won't change my plans in the slightest.”
The thought flashed through his mind, and Li Fan pressed for more details about Mo Rubin’s body.
The place where Li Fan had last seen him was clearly not here.
He was surprised that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had managed to find a way to resist the Gloom's contagion so quickly and had moved the body here.
“If it were truly just a worthless shell, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to move it. I believe that the vortex they're using to siphon the Gloom's power can only remain stable because of Mo Rubin’s body,” Master Craftsman Qiao offered his insight.
“The nature of this Gloom power is somewhat similar to Source Power Essence. Ordinarily, given the sheer scale of the Gloomy Sea of Darkness, an outlet like this should create an energy vortex of unimaginable power. Yet, this place is far too calm.”
Master Craftsman Qiao spoke with such conviction that the You Clan leader was taken aback.
He observed the scene intently for a long moment before exclaiming in astonishment, “Envoy, the immortal master is right! The Gloom's power should be raging, but after passing through that empty shell, it's become completely stable!”
“To be able to soothe even the Gloom itself... what could possibly...” The You Clan leader’s voice trailed off, a mixture of awe and disbelief.
Li Fan fell silent, lost in thought.
If the Gloomy Realm truly was connected to the Xuantian King, then apart from his former companions in the Xuantian Sect, the only other thing that could draw his attention would be the statue of the Faceless Immortal.
But he couldn't be sure what kind of chaos the statue's appearance would unleash in the Gloomy Realm. Li Fan knew he had to weigh the decision carefully.
The primary goals for this trip remained the same: to seize the opportunity to study the mysterious power of the Gloom and to investigate Mo Rubin's fate.
“Could we get close and secretly open a passage to one of the small worlds?” Li Fan asked. “With Mo Rubin’s body acting as a stabilizer, the disturbance shouldn't be too significant.”
The You Clan leader pondered for a moment before giving a firm nod.
“But we must be careful not to draw too much of the Gloom's power. If we do, two vortexes of equal size could attract each other and merge into a single, larger one.”
“Right. We're only taking a little for research,” Li Fan replied. “We won't be greedy.”
With Li Fan having made the final decision, the group quickly sprang into action.
Led by their chieftain, the You clansmen crept right up to the edge of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's outpost and covertly opened another spatial passage.
This was their homeland, after all, and with Li Fan and the others each using their unique abilities to mask the disturbance, the operation proceeded smoothly. From start to finish, they remained undetected by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Of course, it probably helped that the Alliance members had all their attention focused on guarding the massive vortex.
“It’s truly a marvel,” the You Clan leader murmured in amazement, witnessing the miraculous sight firsthand. “The raging Gloomy Sea of Darkness has actually become placid here.”
Meanwhile, on the other side of the passage, in the subterranean world...
The moment the Gloom's power was free of its conduit, it reverted to its true nature.
It surged outward at an appalling speed, swallowing everything in its path.
The last vestiges of light in the subterranean world quickly vanished.
Countless creatures perished, silent and unknowing.
Fortunately, this subterranean world wasn't particularly vast.
Once the Gloom's power had completely flooded it, the flow began to reverse, pouring back into the Gloomy Realm.
It was just like the ebb and flow of a tide.
At the entrance connecting the subterranean world to the Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan's sharp senses detected the Gloom beginning to seep through.
They hadn't opened the passage yet, however, so the process was exceedingly slow.
“If we have to pass through here to get in and out, I'm afraid it won't be long before the leaking Gloom is detected by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance,” Liu Ruchen said with a frown.
“I'll handle it,” Master Craftsman Qiao volunteered. “Source Power Essence and the Gloom's power are incompatible. We might be able to construct a buffer zone here. Of course, that would require a substantial amount of Source Power Essence.”
As Master Craftsman Qiao said this, he couldn't help but look at Li Fan.
Li Fan felt no attachment to this remnant of a True Immortal's power. He had already amassed a considerable quantity of it, and it served no special purpose.
However, he still pretended to think for a long time before reluctantly agreeing.
Delighted, Master Craftsman Qiao immediately sprang into action, summoning his beloved creation to assist him.
A female immortal puppet of devastating beauty appeared, obeying his every command.
It was built with the same technology as the Tianyang Immortal Puppet, though Li Fan wondered where the Master Craftsman had acquired the consciousness for it.
As he worked on the “buffer zone,” Master Craftsman Qiao couldn't resist boasting, casually revealing the puppet's origin.
“Back when the ‘Ancestor’ collapsed, I barely survived the cataclysm and escaped my home. Others weren't so lucky. Their bodies were obliterated, but I managed to save their consciousness backups and carry them with me.”
“Don't be fooled by how obedient she is now; she used to scold me all the time! Hahaha!”
“Back during our time with the Heavenly Spirit Sect, I even made a puppet body for her. But it was too rigid, not to my liking. I got bored of it after a while and destroyed her.”
“Not like this one, though. This one is so lifelike, almost indistinguishable from a real person.”
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