Chapter 1174: A Sudden Message from the Heavenly Venerate
Chapter 1174: A Sudden Message from the Heavenly Venerate
"Young Master Shang, this Diyi Jinglun... did he originate from the Era?"
On the road to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's Tianshu Province, Li Fan's Saint Embryo voiced a question that had lingered in his mind for some time.
Shang Shaojun paused, seemingly unsurprised that Li Fan was aware of Alliance secrets concerning the Era.
He answered in a low voice, "Yes, and no."
"From what I know, the Alliance did indeed use the Era to cultivate a batch of loyal agents. But those individuals, ultimately, were not born and bred in the Xuanhuang Realm. They lacked a certain spiritual spark."
"Though they all displayed astonishing talent during the Era's simulations, their actual performance plummeted once they truly arrived in the Xuanhuang Realm. They were suitable enough as cannon fodder, unafraid of death, but they were ill-suited for any great responsibility," Shang Shaojun explained, shaking his head slightly.
"Later, however, the Alliance found an improved method. Brother Li, are you aware that every Dharma Transmitter has their own exclusive small world?"
Li Fan's Saint Embryo nodded. "I've heard something of the sort."
"You must understand, Brother Li, the beings in the Primordial Great World are either souls and consciousnesses handpicked from the Era or peerless prodigies from the Dharma Transmitters' own worlds. To distinguish oneself in such an environment... one can only imagine their capabilities."
Shang Shaojun's tone grew grave. "And that is precisely the origin of Diyi Jinglun."
"From the Era to the Primordial Great World, Diyi Jinglun clawed his way up, step by step, eventually earning the esteem of the Dharma Transmitters. They used a supreme treasure left by the Heavenly Venerate to reconstruct his body. Due to the immense trust placed in him, he was even granted a special exception, allowed to retain all his memories and experiences. Even though he currently holds no specific office in the Alliance, not a single person dares to underestimate him."
"In that case, this Diyi Jinglun is quite the legend," Li Fan's Saint Embryo remarked with a sigh after hearing Shang Shaojun's account.
But a flicker of doubt crossed his mind. "For a figure like him... if we just show up at his door, aren't you worried he might just tie us up and present us to the Dharma Transmitters?"
Shang Shaojun laughed heartily. "Brother Li, you worry too much. Setting aside the fact that I adventured alongside him in the past and we're on good terms, the very reason he is so trusted by the Dharma Transmitters is because his soul was branded with absolute loyalty to the Alliance from the moment of his creation. The more experiences he gains and the stronger he becomes, the deeper that brand becomes."
"He told me this himself. He doesn't care about it; in fact, he considers it a great honor. And isn't everything we are doing also for the sake of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance? If he learns of the conspiracies hidden within its shadows, he certainly won't stand idly by. Given his character, he might even go and verify our claims himself," Shang Shaojun declared, his voice brimming with confidence.
However, things did not go as smoothly as he had anticipated.
"What? Diyi Jinglun isn't here?"
"But we had an appointment!"
Outside Jinglun's residence, Shang Shaojun and Li Fan were barred from entry.
Shang Shaojun's expression turned grim, and the pressure of a Dao Integration cultivator began to ripple outwards.
The two guards at the gate, though their faces paled, managed to remain composed as they explained, "Your Excellency, please forgive us. Our master received a secret directive from the Alliance and had to depart in a great hurry. It was so urgent that he didn't even have time to send his regards..."
Shang Shaojun tried once more to contact Diyi Jinglun with his communication talisman. As expected, there was no response.
He exchanged a glance with Li Fan, realizing there was nothing to be done, and let out a cold snort before dropping the matter.
"I don't think he's deliberately avoiding us. It seems something truly important has come up," Li Fan said quietly.
"I agree. I know his character; he wouldn't make excuses. I just wonder what could have happened within the Alliance to warrant his urgent deployment. This can't be a small matter," Shang Shaojun murmured.
With their first objective unmet, the two decided to change their plans and head to Tianyu Province to find Ji Hongdao instead.
Unexpectedly, they discovered that Ji Hongdao had also been reassigned by official decree.
They looked at each other, immediately halting their search.
"Something isn't right. Let me ask around," Shang Shaojun said, his brow deeply furrowed.
Meanwhile, Li Fan's wisp of divine sense, hidden within the Immeasurable Mirror, had already begun to act.
He silently pilfered a Tianxuan Minor Mirror from the Sun family estate and used the Immeasurable Mirror to peer into its information.
As expected, the Tianxuan Mirror was already aware of the unusual movements within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
The result, however, was startlingly unexpected to Li Fan.
"A message from the Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate. The Xuanhuang Realm may experience some minor tremors in the near future. The Alliance must prepare accordingly."
"This..."
"Since the founding of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, this is one of the few times the Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate has actively sent a message. The Dharma Transmitters are treating it with extreme gravity..."
After severing the connection and briefly placating the Immeasurable Mirror, Li Fan sank into deep thought.
He wasn't certain if this "message from the Heavenly Venerate" had ever occurred in his previous reincarnations.
But the Xuanhuang Realm experiencing even a slight tremor was something that had absolutely never happened in all the lives he had lived.
"For the Dharma Spreading Heavenly Venerate to send a special message, this coming tremor cannot be insignificant. If caught off guard and unprepared, it could potentially cause widespread panic."
"But the fact that he only sent a message and did not return in person suggests that this tremor won't inflict truly devastating damage upon the Xuanhuang Realm..."
"The tremor is predicted to occur in about a month. By then, I will know if this is an event unique to this lifetime."
...
Shang Shaojun also returned with the results of his inquiries.
Naturally, his information was less detailed than what Li Fan had stolen from the Tianxuan Mirror, but it was more or less the same.
"The entire Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, from top to bottom, has been mobilized. I imagine the relevant orders will reach the Eternal Immortal Fortress soon enough..."
"Brother Li, what are your thoughts?"
Li Fan's Saint Embryo pondered for a moment before replying, "The task we set out to accomplish cannot be completed in a day. Since the entire Xuanhuang Realm might be facing a crisis, we should first focus on preparing for it."
"The Azure Mysterious Army cannot be without its leader, and who knows what disturbances might arise from the Abyss of Roars. Why don't we return to the Eternal Immortal Fortress for now and observe the situation?"
Shang Shaojun agreed with Li Fan's suggestion.
The two thus hastily concluded their journey and returned to the Severed Palm Immortal City.
Gazing at the tranquil, profound Abyss of Roars in the distance, the image of the figure he had seen at its bottom once again surfaced in the Saint Embryo's mind.
"Perhaps... the unique nature of this lifetime is related to these small actions of mine?"
Li Fan frowned slightly, a sense of puzzlement growing within him.
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