Chapter 1445: Ants Besiege an Immortal
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, replaying the divine techniques Scholar Zhu had used in the illusion.
Within his spiritual sense, the miniature Dao Net pulsed with an unsteady light, searching for the corresponding laws of the Great Dao. Scholar Zhu had integrated himself into the Dao Net, so the Dao he had comprehended was now one of its fundamental pillars.
The replica in Li Fan's mind reflected this principle as well.
The instant a connection was made, a particular string on the Dao Net glowed with a uniquely profound luminescence.
Li Fan's mind brushed against it. "This is... the Dao of 'Grinding'!"
An image of a massive, square millstone suddenly materialized before his eyes, relentlessly pounding and crushing targets across the world. A continuous stream of light flowed from that single string in the miniature Dao Net, and in a short time, Li Fan’s understanding of this Dao advanced by leaps and bounds.
However, after only a few moments, Li Fan deliberately cut off his comprehension of this Dao.
"Scholar Zhu may have been forced into the Dao Net as a living foundation, but he's still alive. This Dao of Grinding still has an owner."
"The deeper I delve, the more likely its master will sense my presence."
His decision to reveal the True-False Transformation before Scholar Zhu was not a rash display of power, nor was it to show off before a former Nameless True Immortal. It was a test.
"It seems the True-False Transformation is truly profound. Even though some in the old Immortal Realm coveted it, not everyone was aware of its existence. Even someone of Scholar Zhu's status, a Nameless True Immortal, couldn't recognize it when I used it right in front of him. He was merely astonished by my inexplicable methods."
Admittedly, the test carried some risk, but Scholar Zhu himself was a prisoner of the net. Li Fan's true body was far away in the dark star sea, behind the high wall, and further concealed by the Land of Carefree Joy's dreamscape. Even if something unexpected happened, he could calmly use [Truth] to reset everything.
In fact, Li Fan had successfully activated [Truth] even when the Black Heaven Physician had crossed over from another possibility. In the current Primal Possibility, very few beings could truly threaten him.
In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.
True to his word, Scholar Zhu recommended "Ma Tiande" to the Shuo Xinghai Administrative Council.
Ma Tiande had been dispatched by the Council to the City of Extreme Bliss in the first place to operate the Dao Net and conduct surveillance. The Council simply assumed that Scholar Zhu and Ma Tiande had not gotten along and that Zhu was looking for an excuse to have him transferred.
After verifying Ma Tiande's identity through the Dao Net and consulting with Ma Tiande himself, the Council approved the recommendation.
The selection for the Immortal Hunt was concentrated into a single half-day.
When the selection officially began, the ethereal and illusory Dao Net seemed to reveal its true form, materializing from the void into a tangible entity.
A massive, shimmering net unfurled, blanketing the entire Shuo Xinghai.
It ensnared every faction and power within the star sea.
The shadow of the Dao Net stretched across heaven and earth, extending even beyond the world itself.
Such a magnificent and miraculous sight stirred a deep-seated urge to prostrate and worship in all who witnessed it.
Common mortals fell to their knees in reverence.
Even cultivators bowed their heads, humbled and subdued.
As the Dao Net dominated the sky, Li Fan kept a low profile, lowering his head and observing in silence.
Because of the miniature Dao Net in his spiritual sense, the scene he witnessed was different from what others saw.
Four figures, radiating an aura of sanctity and authority, stood like great pillars hidden behind the net. Beyond them, countless overlapping phantoms stood grimly, a silent, menacing forest of silhouettes.
The invisible hand that had been pressing down on the Dao Net, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Every time he caught a glimpse of the Nameless True Immortals in the real world—the living pillars of this Dao Net—Li Fan’s heart pounded with a terrifying thrill. Yet, with each close and detailed observation, the projection in his spiritual sense grew ever clearer.
And so, Li Fan did not avert his gaze.
A sliver of light shot through the Dao Net.
Wherever it passed, every participant in the Immortal Hunt selection was illuminated by its glow.
Their bodies began to float uncontrollably into the air.
Li Fan was no exception.
Watching the nearly one thousand cultivators from across Shuo Xinghai rise into the sky alongside him, Li Fan remained impassive. He allowed himself to be caught, all the while studying the real-world operations of the Dao Net.
"To span the entirety of Shuo Xinghai, precisely lock onto a thousand targets, and lift them into the air simultaneously... In terms of sheer breadth and precision, the Dao Net's power is no less than that of a True Immortal."
Furthermore, Li Fan faintly sensed that the participants were not simply being lifted into the air. It felt as if they were collectively entering a parallel spacetime that existed alongside the physical Shuo Xinghai.
The beings below in Shuo Xinghai could look up and see their figures suspended in the heavens.
But the participants themselves gradually lost sight of the world below, as if entering a completely isolated domain.
"This must be a public test, conducted before all life in Shuo Xinghai to ensure the selection is fair and just," Li Fan understood.
The surroundings darkened, as if they were now adrift in an endless void. A thousand cultivators floated in the abyss, awaiting the start of the selection.
A booming voice soon echoed through the space.
There were no pleasantries; it got straight to the point.
"First trial: The Dao."
The colossal Dao Net that spanned heaven and earth seemed to descend into the trial space. It appeared abruptly, then began to press down with relentless force.
The creation that had once existed only in the distant sky was now drawing ever closer.
Until it was right before their eyes.
Before the magnificent Dao Net, the thousand hopefuls were no different than ants caught in a web.
The crushing pressure emanating from the Great Dao caused a third of the cultivators to tremble uncontrollably on the spot.
A flash of light, and all those who trembled were instantly eliminated, teleported out of the trial space.
The remaining cultivators steeled themselves, focusing their minds to face the net that was now nearly upon them.
The Dao Net continued its descent, threatening to grind them into dust.
Faced with the imminent danger of being utterly annihilated, not everyone could maintain their composure. No matter how much they had prepared, the reality of the Dao Net was a world apart from anything they could have imagined. In that descent, anyone whose expression faltered was immediately eliminated.
The Dao Net pressed down, and it felt as if their bodies and souls were being mercilessly ground down before being absorbed into its structure.
When his vision cleared, Li Fan found himself in a place that resembled a labyrinth.
The true form of the Dao Net was gone.
Bzzzzz...
A strange sound emanated from nearby.
Li Fan turned his head and saw that the silvery-white paths of the maze were inexplicably evaporating from the edges.
Worse still, this wave of dissolution was rapidly spreading toward him.
"The Dao Annihilation Calamity?"
The words surfaced in Li Fan's mind as a matter of course.
It wasn't the true calamity, of course, but a simulated disaster scenario based on its principles, designed for the test.
"So, my task is to escape this Dao Net maze," Li Fan realized.
He tried to step forward, deeper into the maze, but despite his habitual exertion of force, he remained rooted to the spot.
Looking down, Li Fan discovered that his feet were bizarrely fused to the floor of the Dao Net maze.
The path ahead, though seemingly smooth, was riddled with uneven patches. Under normal circumstances, progress would be incredibly difficult.
After a moment of observation, Li Fan understood the intent of this first trial.
Extending his senses through his feet like fine tendrils, Li Fan perceived the protrusions on the path before him.
"I need to issue a Dao Net command to fill in these gaps."
Li Fan didn't bother with the effort himself. He resorted to his old trick, just as he had in Scholar Zhu's test, and let the miniature Dao Net in his spiritual sense handle it directly.
In an instant, a dim light emerged from Li Fan's body, flowed down through his feet, and spread into the ground.
The gap was filled.
The path ahead became smooth, and Li Fan took an effortless step forward.
"An interesting way to conduct a test."
The miniature Dao Net rapidly responded to the various imperfections in the path below.
Li Fan began to walk at a steady, unhurried pace.
With his mind free from pressure, Li Fan observed his surroundings, controlling his speed to keep himself in the upper echelon, but not at the very front.
He wasn't the most conspicuous, but he was certainly among the first wave.
Behind him, the path continued to evaporate, relentlessly closing in.
In this phase, another four hundred or so people were eliminated.
Only when just over three hundred cultivators remained did the first trial finally end.
The Dao Net maze vanished without a sound, and the great, booming voice announced once more.
Again, it was straight to the point.
"Second trial: Martial."
As the words still echoed through the space, an inexplicable presence descended.
Li Fan's pupils contracted.
"A True Immortal?"
Facing the three hundred cultivators was a tall figure clad in golden armor.
Shackles bound his hands and feet, and his armor was heavily damaged, covered in countless scars.
His hair and beard were a tangled mess that hadn't been tended to in years, completely obscuring his face.
But Li Fan could still see a savage grin suddenly flash across the hidden features.
"Rain!"
A hoarse voice, laced with a faint killing intent, resounded in everyone's ears.
Suddenly, raindrops began to fall from the sky.
At first, it was just a light drizzle. Then, the downpour intensified, and in an instant, it became a torrential storm.
Each drop of rain felt as heavy as a mountain.
As it fell upon them, many cultivators were caught off guard, letting out piercing screams.
They were instantly battered into a bloody pulp by the rain.
Flashes of light flickered as they were teleported out of the trial space at the brink of death.
However, a few unlucky souls weren't transported out in time and perished in the deluge.
"So they're playing for keeps."
Li Fan watched as a contestant next to him met a violent end.
He, however, felt not a trace of panic. He had countless ways to withstand this immortal rain.
"But since this is the Immortal Hunt selection, I should use the power of the Dao Net as much as possible."
The moment the True Immortal appeared, Li Fan had noticed that his connection to the Dao Net seemed to have grown stronger, as if to make it easier for the participants to draw upon its power.
"Rain..."
"Umbrella!"
With a single thought, an umbrella materialized in Li Fan's hand.
Its round canopy opened above his head, completely shielding him from the falling rain.
But this trial was not so easily overcome.
While protecting himself, Li Fan glanced around and saw that quite a few of the Shuo Xinghai cultivators had adapted almost immediately.
They each displayed their unique abilities. Some, like Li Fan, used umbrellas or other protective gear. Others used invisible forces to bend the rain's trajectory, deflecting its assault. A few even opened their mouths and swallowed the downpour whole.
Once they had secured their footing in the storm, they swarmed toward the shackled, golden-armored True Immortal, launching a coordinated attack.
All manner of divine techniques and spells erupted at once.
Among them, a gust of wind and three swords were the most dazzling.
The great wind howled, blowing the torrential rain back in reverse. The very technique the True Immortal had used to slaughter the contestants was now turned against him.
The three swords belonged to a single person, a female cultivator in a purple robe who stood with them hovering behind her back. The woman appeared to be blind, her eyes perpetually closed. Yet, even in the vision-obscuring downpour, she locked onto the golden-armored True Immortal's position with unerring accuracy. The three swords behind her were wielded by a severed arm, a disembodied head, and a swirling vortex.
Sword light crisscrossed the air, slicing through wind and rain as it hacked mercilessly at the golden-armored True Immortal.
...
Amidst the tempest, waves of energy surged and crashed like a violent tide.
Li Fan remained hidden, observing quietly without making a move. At the same time, he used the miniature Dao Net in his spiritual sense to record the fluctuations of every spell and technique around him.
It was obvious that the opponent in this trial was a genuine immortal.
Though he was being controlled by the Council and couldn't unleash his full power, his defensive capabilities were still intact.
The cultivators' techniques continuously bombarded his golden armor.
But they only managed to produce faint tremors. They couldn't even leave a scratch.
The golden-armored True Immortal watched the siege of ants before him and roared with laughter.
"Rain! Rain! Rain!"
As the True Immortal chanted, the storm intensified.
The shackles on his hands and feet clanged loudly, seeming on the verge of shattering under the strain of his power.
And the rain assailing the cultivators began to reveal its true, sinister effect.
Not only was it as heavy as mountains, but it also began to corrode their very souls.
It even began to corrupt the very laws of this dimension.
As the cultivators began to falter under the True Immortal's counterattack, their defeat seemed imminent.
Li Fan, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally spoke.
"Strip armor!"
Hiding behind all the other cultivators, Li Fan pointed a finger from afar at the arrogant, golden-armored True Immortal.
Though his voice was soft, it pierced through the wind and rain, reaching the ears of everyone present.
The storm paused for an instant.
An unbelievably profound power seemed to descend. The armor on the golden-armored True Immortal began to tremble, an irresistible force acting upon it.
"No!"
The True Immortal, his face once contorted in a savage grin, was now filled with utter terror.
He screamed, as if trying to prevent his armor from being torn away.
But the power of the Dao Net was absolute, brutally stripping the protective gear from his body.
In a matter of moments, the once-mighty True Immortal stood naked before the crowd.
Though his matted hair offered some meager concealment, the humiliation was immense and unbearable!
The other contestants, snapping back to their senses, reacted instantly.
They renewed their assault on the True Immortal.
But this time, the immortal only roared, allowing their attacks to tear at his flesh and blood.
His crimson eyes, however, bored through the crowd, fixed squarely on Li Fan!
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