Chapter 938: The Outcome Is Yet Unknown
Chapter 938: The Outcome Is Yet Unknown
"In different timelines, both sides have gone to war over the remains of the first Dharma Spreader. It seems that besides their symbolic significance, these remains must have some other use."
For a moment, Li Fan was tempted to go to Ten Thousand Immortals Island and plunder it.
But he quickly suppressed the urge.
Although Ten Thousand Immortals Island in the Cong Yun Sea appeared to be just a remote prefectural city, garrisoned only by Soul Transformation cultivators whom the current Li Fan could suppress with ease...
...it not only held the remains of the first Dharma Spreader but also suppressed the Passage to Gloom beneath it—the suspected source of all the weirdness in the Xuanhuang Realm.
And Gongsun Qixuan of the Heavenly Secrets Hall, the one responsible for monitoring this weirdness, was certainly not as simple as he seemed.
To start digging right under the nose of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance...
"Actually, it's not impossible. I just need to muddy the waters again."
A flicker of doubt crossed Li Fan's mind.
"It seems I need to get in touch with Mo Rubin soon."
The scene shifted back to the Five Elders Council, to his clone, Li Qing.
"The remains? The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance went to all this trouble just for them?" Li Qing voiced the same question as his original self.
"Yes," Qing Yang confirmed once more.
"Within the Soul Grinding Pan, there are fifty-six remnant souls and one hundred and three sets of remains."
"But after so many years of torment, they've been driven completely insane. They shouldn't have any value left." Qing Yang shot Li Qing a look, as if by accident.
Li Qing's expression remained unchanged. He feigned a moment of thought before speaking. "Since you're being so forthcoming, I'll be direct as well."
"All thirty-three of the Immortal Elect are dead. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance shouldn't be able to summon the Heavenly Venerate's manifestation for some time."
"Moreover, the last group of Immortal Elect was chosen through a grand, multi-stage Alliance examination. Replenishing their numbers will likely require a period of vulnerability. This might be your chance to strike back." Li Qing didn't state it as a certainty, instead choosing to subtly instigate.
Hearing this, Qing Yang appeared calm, but the shift in her eyes betrayed the shock she felt inside.
"I wonder, when will the five Heavenly Venerates fully recover their strength?" Li Qing inquired, seizing the opportunity.
Qing Yang just shook her head, refusing to speak on the matter.
"A pity. I was hoping to renew my acquaintance with the One Heart Heavenly Venerate," Li Qing sighed.
Qing Yang's gaze instantly hardened, fixing on Li Qing.
Ignoring the murderous aura that felt almost tangible, Li Qing cupped his hands. "My mission is complete. I won't disturb you any further."
"I hope we'll have the opportunity to cooperate again in the future."
Li Qing prepared to leave, and Qing Yang did not stop him.
After exchanging a new method of contact, Li Qing transformed into a streak of sword light and shot away.
"My lady, that man is suspicious. Are you just going to let him go?" a dark figure suddenly materialized behind Qing Yang and asked.
"His strength is considerable, but I'm confident I could have kept him here."
Qing Yang stared at the horizon until the streak of sword light had completely vanished. Only then did she say coolly, "He is not our enemy at the moment. Leave him be."
"How is the Poison Seed Plan progressing?"
The dark figure replied in a low voice, "We still can't make contact. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance took our residents, and we don't know where."
"Continue tracking them." A cold glint flashed in Qing Yang's eyes.
"If they dared to reach out their hand, they should be prepared for it to be cut off."
"Yes!" A hint of excitement crept into the dark figure's voice.
...
Li Qing was unaware of what transpired after he left.
However, he could faintly sense the malice from the dark figure, an almost imperceptible presence that had hovered around him.
That was why he hadn't lingered. Once he had the answers he sought, he departed the Five Elders Council's territory.
On his way back, however, he witnessed a truly shocking scene.
Upon the vast ruins that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had nearly leveled, a squad of cultivators in gleaming battle armor appeared.
Floating in mid-air, they projected holographic images of buildings onto the ground from the helmets of their armor.
As the beams of light solidified and grew blindingly bright, the once-ethereal structures slowly turned from illusion to reality.
With almost no effort, the squad of cultivators created a city of considerable size out of thin air in the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.
"Mission complete. Let's see what the reward is this time."
"This is so stingy... Ah, whatever. On to the next one."
Muttering to themselves, the cultivators flew off one after another.
"Interesting," Li Qing mused, his eyes narrowing slightly.
The cultivators from the Land of Carefree Joy seemed to have attitudes and methods that were vastly different from those of the outside world.
Their level of development also seemed far beyond that of the other provinces in the Five Elders Council's domain.
"They can rebuild the structures, but what about the people abducted by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?"
"Could they possibly conjure them out of thin air as well?"
His interest piqued, Li Qing received approval from his original self and concealed himself near the newly constructed city, lying in wait.
Li Qing didn't have to wait long.
Six days later, another squad of cultivators in gleaming battle armor appeared.
They were escorting a massive warship, which positioned itself above the city.
A colossal beam of light shot down from the warship, enveloping the entire city. ra
Countless bodies, seemingly asleep, drifted down along the beam, slowly descending to various locations within the city.
Before long, the once-empty city was bustling with people once more.
After the warship completed its task and departed, the sleeping residents gradually began to awaken.
They seemed completely unaware of what had happened, as if they had just been revived from a frozen state. Upon waking, they immediately resumed their previous actions.
In an instant, the city was filled with the clamor of life.
Li Qing slipped into the city unnoticed, took control of a resident, and examined them carefully.
He discovered that they were, in fact, real people, not illusory creations.
"Such methods..."
Li Qing's expression grew grave.
In this war, it seemed the Five Elders Council had lost.
And yet, it seemed they hadn't.
His anticipation for what would come next renewed, Li Qing transformed into a streak of sword light and left the area.
...
Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, Guangyang Province.
The Holy Embryo clone of Li Fan was playing chess under the shade of a willow tree with a slovenly dressed old man.
The Holy Embryo played with ease, while the old man, in contrast, had to ponder for a long time before each move.
But no matter how the old man struggled, he ultimately lost the game.
"I'm done!"
"There's something wrong with you, kid!"
The old man snorted and flipped the chessboard over.
Strangely enough, the black and white pieces, which should have scattered everywhere, seemed drawn to the board.
They flew back onto its surface.
The board righted itself and landed back in front of the old man.
"Son of a..."
the old man couldn't help but curse under his breath.
The Holy Embryo, however, was already used to this.
This was the nine hundred and ninety-ninth game the two had played.
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