Chapter 878: Old Friends Arrive Once More
Chapter 878: Old Friends Arrive Once More
Under the gaze of the Dharma Spreader Heavenly Venerate, the layers of defense established by the Five Elders Association in Nine Mountains Prefecture crumbled in an instant.
In the face of such an absolute disparity in power, all struggle, all resistance, was utterly futile.
Every living being within the prefecture—including the cultivators stationed there by the Five Elders Association, the members of the Lingyuan Sect, and even countless mortals—
was annihilated the moment the Dharma Spreader Heavenly Venerate opened his eyes.
It was just as the Xuanhuang Realm itself could not withstand the direct gaze of a True Immortal.
The beings of Nine Mountains Prefecture were equally incapable of facing the Dharma Spreader's might.
An untold number of cultivators perished in that single moment.
Ordinarily, the sky should have been filled with countless heavenly omens marking their fall.
The scene gave the impression that even the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm had to restrain itself in the presence of the Dharma Spreader Heavenly Venerate, not daring to unleash its usual spectacle of mockery and celebration for the deaths of cultivators.
...
The recording provided by the Five Elders Association came to an abrupt end.
While it was certainly shocking, for Li Fan, who had already witnessed a True Immortal obliterate a world...
it was hardly overwhelming.
After mulling it over, Li Fan immediately pinpointed something that felt wrong.
"Was that the Dharma Spreader? Or the work of the Thirty-Three Immortal Elects?"
During his 115th life, the Dharma Spreader Heavenly Venerate had revealed his true form.
The entire Xuanhuang Realm had trembled under his might.
It was as if the apocalypse was at hand, and the world could be torn asunder by his power at any moment.
In comparison, the Dharma Spreader Heavenly Venerate that appeared over Nine Mountains Prefecture was weaker by more than a single measure.
"What is this, a projection? A clone?"
A glint of light flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
By his senses, Wei Qizheng, one of the Immortal Elects, was still very much alive.
Moreover, the cultivator from the Five Elders Association had mentioned that "He"—the Dharma Spreader's phantom—might appear more regularly in the future.
This proved it wasn't a one-time gambit, but a repeatable technique.
"Although its power is a far cry from the true Dharma Spreader, it's definitely at the Longevity stage."
"More importantly, it's still unclear how this projection was manifested in the skies of Nine Mountains Prefecture. The Immortal Elects were nowhere to be seen. If they can summon this projection anywhere, ignoring all spatial limitations..."
"Then the deterrent is immense. Until they find a countermeasure, the Five Elders Association won't dare to advance rashly."
Li Fan's eyes flickered as he scanned the landscape of Nine Mountains Prefecture.
Countless lives had been lost here just a short while ago, yet strangely, there wasn't the slightest scent of blood in the air.
Under the Dharma Spreader's pressure, even blood had been crushed out of existence.
"A technique worthy of the Dharma Spreader's name. It's less a slaughter and more an annihilation," Li Fan mused.
Having understood what had transpired in Nine Mountains Prefecture, Li Fan didn't linger.
He swiftly returned using the power of the earth veins.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Five Elders Association's next move, should they choose to counterattack, will likely involve using the Samantabhadra True Boat to launch a surprise assault from within the white mist."
"Once the battle is brought to the Alliance's heartland, they will have to think twice before deploying that Dharma Spreader projection."
"But such a surprise attack is most effective the first time. The Five Elders Association will probably save it for a decisive, final battle..."
"Interesting. Let's see what choice the Five Elders Association makes."
The deterrent power of the Dharma Spreader's projection was indeed extraordinary.
Even a single use in Nine Mountains Prefecture was enough to spook the members of the Five Elders Association in other fallen border prefectures, causing them to pull back their forces.
With almost no effort, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance reclaimed all the border prefectures they had previously lost.
A constant stream of victory reports left the cultivators, who were accustomed to seeing the Alliance on the back foot, in a state of disbelief.
As a result, conspiracy theories began to circulate.
Cong Yun Sea, Haixuan Island.
"The Alliance is retaking lost territory far too quickly. Don't you think there's something strange about it?"
"Heh, I heard a little rumor. They say the Alliance didn't win back these prefectures at all. The Five Elders Association deliberately handed them back!"
"They fought so hard to conquer them. Why would the Five Elders Association just give them up?"
"That's where you're wrong. They did give them back, but they only returned scorched earth. Anything of value was plundered by those bastards from the Association. A friend of mine on the front lines told me the state of those prefectures is just tragic!"
"Hiss! I get it now! It's an overt scheme by the Five Elders Association. We have to rebuild the reclaimed lands, right? We'll pour our blood and sweat into it, and then they'll just attack again and plunder everything once more..."
"No wonder we suddenly grew a spine. So that's what's going on!"
...
Conspiracy theories always find a receptive audience.
Unable to accept that the perennially "weak" Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance could achieve such a glorious victory in such a short time, some cultivators began to concoct their own theories about the schemes at play.
But as they reveled in their discussion, they were unaware that their words had enraged two individuals among them.
*CRACK!*
With the resounding crack of a hand slamming a table, a figure shot to his feet.
"I had thought this Congyun Mutual Aid Association, with its widespread fame, would be a respectable organization."
"I never imagined it would be filled with such filth!"
The man glared at the surrounding cultivators and declared in a cold voice, "The war on the front lines has not yet ceased. Countless of our comrades have fallen in battle. It's one thing for you lot to sit here and do nothing, but to wag your tongues with such baseless slander is another!"
"I, Kou Hong, am ashamed to be associated with you!"
"Pah!"
Kou Hong's eyes blazed with fury, his voice booming like thunder.
Beside him, another cultivator—tall, slender, with sharp brows and star-like eyes, dressed in white—rose and proclaimed with a clear laugh, "Well said, my brother. I, Dao Xuanzi, also look down upon these beasts!"
Their words instantly offended the small group of gossipers.
They stared coldly at Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi, a flicker of killing intent in their eyes.
If this weren't Ji Shaoli's territory, they would likely have tried to kill the two outspoken cultivators on the spot.
"This so-called Mutual Aid Association isn't worth staying in!"
Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi exclaimed indignantly, preparing to leave.
"Please, wait a moment!"
Suddenly, someone stepped forward to stop them.
Everyone looked closely and immediately bowed in respect.
It was the master of Haixuan Island, the leader of the Congyun Mutual Aid Association, Ji Shaoli himself!
"Fellow Daoist Ji, those who walk different paths cannot plan together. Let us part ways here today!" Kou Hong turned his head away, ignoring Ji Shaoli. It was Dao Xuanzi who, with a measure of politeness, clasped his hands and spoke.
The clone, Ji Shaoli, said nothing. He simply gazed at the two familiar faces before him, a faint smile gracing his lips.
A thought echoed in his mind: "Fate... it truly works in mysterious ways!"
He looked at the two men who, in the original timeline, had remained at the Foundation Establishment stage for decades, yet now stood before him as early-stage Golden Core cultivators.
A decision began to form in his mind.
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