Chapter 1101: Secretly Plotting Against a True Immortal
"Oh, and get this—I even kept the memory of her previous body's destruction and added it to the new one I created for her..."
"You should have seen the look on her face when she first woke up."
Master Qiaogong grew more animated as he spoke.
As the buffer zone of Source Power Essence was gradually completed, the surrounding area began to brighten, allowing him to clearly see the expressions of the people looking at him.
This only fueled his smugness.
"I should have known. Since you can copy and back up your own consciousness, it stands to reason you'd have backups of other cultivators from the Heavenly Secret Realm," Li Fan interjected, his sudden appearance and cold tone making Master Qiaogong freeze on the spot.
"The cultivators of the Heavenly Secret Realm are all absolute geniuses in artifact refinement. Our association is in dire need of talent. How could you keep them to yourself?" Li Fan's gaze was sharp and unfriendly.
Master Qiaogong could only manage an awkward smile.
Master Qiaogong felt waves of killing intent radiating from Li Fan, and his heart pounded in his chest.
He could even feel a pair of invisible, colossal hands closing around his neck, squeezing until he could barely breathe.
Worse, the suffocating grip was only getting tighter.
He was like an insect caught in a web, unable to struggle, only to wait helplessly for death.
Master Qiaogong knew this was the power of the Red Dust Merciful Immortal.
From the moment he recited the oath to join the association, he had been ensnared in the True Immortal's net.
Unless his own power surpassed the immortal's, Li Fan, as an emissary, could obliterate him with a single thought through this connection alone.
Fortunately, Li Fan had no real intention of killing him here.
Just as Master Qiaogong's consciousness began to fade, the crushing sensation vanished instantly.
Gasping for air as if reborn, Master Qiaogong wiped the cold sweat from his brow and hastily explained, "Just the few core members of the Elder Council."
"I was in a hurry when I escaped, so I only managed to grab that many."
"The power of the gloom is mysterious and unpredictable. When the time comes, release them so they can study it together," Li Fan stated flatly.
Master Qiaogong could only agree.
After being thoroughly frightened by Li Fan, he behaved with much more humility.
Three days later, the golden buffer zone was complete.
Gazing at the thick darkness held at bay just beyond the barrier, the crowd once again marveled at the divine power of the Red Dust Merciful Immortal.
As potent as the power of the gloom was, it was no match for a True Immortal.
Despite the buffer zone, there was still a slight risk of this gloomy power getting out of control.
Li Fan had no intention of bringing it back to the Spirit Wood Realm for research.
Instead, he established a separate research facility right here in this subterranean world.
The four elders of the Heavenly Secret Realm were all released by Master Qiaogong.
It was only then that Li Fan learned that the stunningly beautiful female immortal puppet was, in fact, Shangguan Tuo, the Chief Elder of the Heavenly Secret Realm whom Master Qiaogong had mentioned before.
Years ago, Shangguan Tuo had attempted to gain complete control over "[Zu]" and, in a risky move, merged her own divine soul with its damaged core. Naturally, she had made a backup of her consciousness beforehand.
However, her reckless actions nearly caused the collapse of the entire Heavenly Secret Realm. Her crime was grave.
Thus, the Elder Council at the time vetoed the proposal to reawaken Shangguan Tuo.
Her consciousness backup was simply hidden away.
In the end, it was taken by Master Qiaogong just before the Heavenly Secret Realm was destroyed.
What surprised Li Fan even more was that Shangguan Tuo was actually Master Qiaogong's revered master.
As Master Qiaogong met everyone's stares, his expression showed not a trace of abnormality.
And the other three elders from the Heavenly Secret Realm remained silent about Master Qiaogong's act, which amounted to a profound betrayal of his master.
When Li Fan asked Shangguan Tuo if she sought her freedom, he received a negative reply.
This piqued Li Fan's curiosity.
His eyes shifted to Master Qiaogong, who shivered and quickly began to explain.
"This really doesn't have much to do with me."
"They are, after all, just consciousness backups. To prevent a situation where two versions of 'me' might try to kill each other, these backups have their subjective initiative suppressed. They aren't fully equivalent to a true personality. Only the Chief Elder herself knows the method to lift the restrictions."
"This was a protective measure we in the Heavenly Secret Realm implemented to prevent anyone from using consciousness backups on a large scale and endangering the world's security."
"As for myself, well, with the Heavenly Secret Realm gone, I naturally have fewer scruples."
Master Qiaogong couldn't hide the triumphant tone in his voice.
"So, you're saying they're essentially second-class citizens in the Heavenly Secret Realm, and they have to listen to a superior like you?" Fang Zaiji asked, stroking his chin.
Master Qiaogong nodded.
However, upon seeing Li Fan's expression, he quickly slapped his chest and guaranteed, "Rest assured, Emissary. Although they perceive their status as a step below mine, their talent for research is identical to their original selves. With all of us working together, figuring out how to use this gloomy power shouldn't be too difficult."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Li Fan couldn't be bothered with the internal dramas of the Heavenly Secret Realm.
As long as they could be of use to him, that was all that mattered.
After giving his instructions, Li Fan returned to the subterranean world alone.
Standing by himself, enveloped in the gloom.
Li Fan felt no fear, only a quiet contemplation of his surroundings.
"It's just as I thought. In the gloom, even the influence of the Faceless Immortal is significantly weakened."
"While I can't break free from it completely, this place has effectively become a sanctuary for me."
"Deep within this gloomy realm, I can activate [Truth] and return at any time."
At this thought, the immense threat that had been weighing on Li Fan's mind for so long finally began to ease.
"But running away forever is useless."
"I've made so many preparations in this life. I'm already quite confident I can retreat safely from the clash between the Faceless Immortal and the Immortal Ruins."
"So, what choice should I make?"
For a rare moment in this life, Li Fan calmed down, thinking in solitude.
The gloom felt like a protective umbrella, shielding him from everything and allowing his mind a state of unprecedented relaxation.
"The power of the Faceless Immortal still lingers in the Xuanhuang Realm. It's not something I can avoid simply by not provoking it."
"Once I reach a certain realm, I will inevitably draw its attention. That is an unchangeable fact."
"Unless I can find a way to safely escape the Xuanhuang Realm."
"But beyond the High Wall, True Immortals still exist."
"There's no escape..."
A sharp glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
"When facing a True Immortal, sometimes being weak is an advantage."
"It allows you to observe carefully while being overlooked."
Li Fan looked again at the profound darkness around him.
"It's just like this gloom. If something were in this darkness, staring at me, but its power was far weaker than mine, posing no threat whatsoever..."
"How would I ever notice it?"
(End of Chapter)
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