Chapter 1107: A Single Scheme to Throw Heaven and Earth into Chaos
Chapter 1107: A Single Scheme to Throw Heaven and Earth into Chaos
For a cultivator, the allure of a True Immortal was simply a fatal temptation.
Ever since the path to immortality was severed, ascension had become an unattainable dream for all cultivators.
But now, the remains of a True Immortal had suddenly appeared in the world.
And all signs pointed to the very real possibility that these remains were authentic!
At this point, regardless of how much doubt they harbored, every cultivator made the same choice: secure the remains first and ask questions later.
Even if they weren't the genuine remains of a True Immortal, the extraordinary phenomena they triggered promised benefits that would be anything but small!
And so, cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance poured out of their celestial cities, scattering across the land to hunt for any trace of the immortal's remains.
Even a considerable number of cultivators from the Five Elders Council, who had been shopping in Nine Mountains Province, traveled thousands of miles to join the commotion.
Relations between the two powers had eased further. With a simple application, cultivators from either side could travel and sightsee in the other's territory.
It seemed to be a method for each faction to prove that their society was more suitable for cultivators to thrive in.
However, there had been no news of anyone successfully switching their allegiance.
The interactions between the two sides remained at a most superficial level.
The cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance were largely wary of these members from the Five Elders Council.
While they banded together to search for the immortal's remains, they made sure to keep their distance from the rivals as a precaution.
"Tell me, do you think these immortal remains could be a ploy by the Five Elders Council? A deliberate attempt to throw us all into chaos? Everyone's so focused on business these days, our vigilance against the Council has been slipping year by year. Tsk, this is not a good sign."
"Indeed. Who knows when they might suddenly strike again! The Five Elders Council is nothing but trouble!"
"What are you even thinking? Are you saying the Five Elders Council also created those Spirits of Heaven and Earth that have been appearing out of nowhere? This is happening on our turf, within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. We didn't even know these Spirits of Heaven and Earth existed. If the Council knew about them in such detail, we might as well just surrender now!"
...
The occasional appearance of cultivators from the Five Elders Council did nothing to slow the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's hunt for the immortal's remains.
When a second lucky individual emerged, the craving in their hearts grew even more intense.
The second cultivator fortunate enough to have a close encounter with the immortal's remains was a man named Xue Mu.
He was a Foundation Establishment array master.
In truth, he never actually touched the remains themselves; he was stopped by the golden light that swirled around them.
But the instant that golden light entered his body, Xue Mu's mind was flooded with an endless stream of diverse and fantastical arrays.
The sheer volume of information threatened to burst his sea of consciousness.
At that moment of life and death, Xue Mu instinctively let go. The immortal's remains once again vanished into thin air.
But Xue Mu, who had just missed a heaven-sent opportunity, felt no regret. Instead, after a long, stunned silence, his face twisted into a mask of pure ecstasy, and he threw his head back and roared with laughter.
It was only later that everyone learned that in that fleeting instant, he had obtained at least a hundred different formations from the immortal's remains.
What was more important, however, was that the sophistication of these formations generally surpassed those of the Xuanhuang Realm by several levels.
It was likely that even the most powerful grand array of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance couldn't hold a candle to any single one now stored in his mind!
Although his cultivation level had not increased, for an array master like Xue Mu, this harvest was far more significant than advancing several major realms in power!
Soon, Xue Mu was escorted away by personnel dispatched from the headquarters of the Alliance's Array Strategy Hall.
Internal news that followed shortly after confirmed the advanced nature of the formations he had acquired.
Besides a true immortal, what other being could possess such capabilities?
This event undoubtedly cemented the rumors of the True Immortal's remains as fact.
As the news spread, some figures within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance could finally no longer sit still.
In the Spirit Wood Realm, Li Fan connected to a communication channel with Dharma Transmitter Zhou.
"The matter of the immortal's remains has caused quite a stir recently. What are your thoughts on it, friend Daoist?"
Li Fan's reply was swift and decisive. "Utter nonsense, a complete fabrication!" he declared. "Daoist Zhou, whatever you do, do not believe it!"
"You're so certain?" Now it was Dharma Transmitter Zhou's turn to be suspicious.
Li Fan sneered. "The path to immortality has been severed for so many years. Among all our colleagues from the myriad realms, not a single one has ever laid eyes on the corpse of a True Immortal."
"The Xuanhuang Realm..."
"Is no different. How could it be so coincidental that one just appears without any warning? And how did the news spread to every corner of the world in an instant? I believe someone is pulling the strings from behind the scenes!" Li Fan insisted, his tone full of conviction.
"But the Spirits of Heaven and Earth appearing alongside it are genuine. Two people in the Alliance have already successfully advanced to the Dao Integration stage because of them. I truly can't imagine what power in the Xuanhuang Realm could so casually toss out resources for multiple Dao Integration breakthroughs just as bait," Dharma Transmitter Zhou countered, not buying Li Fan's words.
Li Fan seemed to be caught off guard by the question.
After a long silence, he sighed. "The more that's true, the more it proves how grand the schemer's ambitions are! Your Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is reaping a bountiful harvest, while we are left here terrified."
Upon hearing this, Dharma Transmitter Zhou suddenly asked, "Are you sure this isn't your handiwork?"
"What kind of talk is that! Our Federation of All Worlds has laid low for many years. Why would we suddenly stir up such a storm?" Li Fan's voice was tinged with displeasure.
"If you ask me, it's more likely an enemy of your Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. You've ruled the Xuanhuang Realm for thousands of years; surely you've made some mortal enemies?"
"Hmm?!" Li Fan's words seemed to trigger a memory.
Dharma Transmitter Zhou sounded startled, and after a brief silence, she hastily cut off the communication.
Only then did a mysterious expression flicker across Li Fan's face.
Needless to say, this entire storm was, of course, Li Fan's creation.
By harnessing the abyssal power of the dark puppet, the "True Immortal's remains" could traverse vast distances, appearing and disappearing like a ghost, evading the pursuit of countless cultivators.
And by secretly issuing false edicts from the Heavenly Dao, directing one Spirit of Heaven and Earth after another to reveal itself, Li Fan made the entire performance all the more convincing.
As for the two beneficiaries of this incident, Zhang Haobo and Xue Mu, though they were complete strangers to him in this lifetime, they were familiar faces from his past cycles of reincarnation.
Li Fan didn't mind playing the part of a benefactor and giving them a helping hand.
However, his rampant use of false heavenly mandates across the land had pushed the Xuanhuang Realm's tolerance and vigilance to their absolute limit.
He would probably have to lie low for a while.
"The stage is set. I'm not worried about them refusing to step into the trap. Such a chaotic situation should be enough to conceal my true intentions," Li Fan chuckled under his breath.
"Dharma Transmitter Zhou's reaction at the end was rather strange, though. What did she remember?"
"Could it be that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance truly has an enemy capable of using resources for several Dao Integration breakthroughs as bait?"
As Li Fan considered this, his brow furrowed slightly.
(End of Chapter)
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