Chapter 964: Feigning Foolishness, Not Truly Mad
"Brother Xingwang, it's me, Mo Rubin." This time, Mo Rubin announced himself quickly, even before his presence fully manifested.
Li Fan merely snorted. "If you're going to feign familiarity, you should at least get the right person!"
With that, he once again launched an assault on the newly formed avatar of Mo Rubin within his sea of consciousness.
Though he couldn't draw upon the spiritual consciousness of other cultivators, the attack, powered by his myriad thought-fiends alone, was still formidable.
However, it was a far cry from the previous blow that had shattered Mo Rubin. To mask this discrepancy, Li Fan deliberately feigned a moment of hesitation.
"Brother Xingwang, wait!" Mo Rubin easily deflected the attack.
Sensing Li Fan's hesitation, he quickly continued, "I know your memories might be fragmented, but surely you must have some recollection of the Xuantian Cult?"
"The Xuantian Cult..." Li Fan's assault seemed to slow as if he were lost in thought.
Seeing this, a look of delight crossed Mo Rubin's face.
High in the sky of this grim, spectral domain, the image of the Faceless Immortal Statue slowly materialized.
It was like a great sun, dispelling the darkness and illuminating the world.
"The Xuantian Statue?!" Seeing the icon that had vanished from the world for so long, Mo Rubin grew even more certain of his judgment.
"Audacious heretic! How dare you misinterpret the supreme Red Dust Compassionate Immortal!" A touch of madness flared in Li Fan's eyes, and the entire spectral sea of consciousness began to tremble violently as if struck.
The myriad thought-fiends turned to glare at Mo Rubin, their faces contorted in savage snarls.
"Brother Xingwang, don't harm one of your own! This..."
"The statue of the supreme Red Dust Compassionate Immortal is, in fact, the Xuantian Statue!"
"You and I are on the same side!" Mo Rubin tried his best to placate Li Fan.
"The same side?" At these words, Li Fan's frenzied state seemed to subside slightly.
"Does that mean you're also a believer in the supreme Red Dust Compassionate Immortal?" he asked, sizing up Mo Rubin with suspicion.
Mo Rubin was at a loss for words, but seeing that Li Fan was on the verge of another manic episode, he gave a reluctant nod. "Er, you could say that."
"Hmph, why didn't you say so sooner!" Only then did Li Fan completely lower his guard.
In an instant, the myriad fiends and the blood moon in the sky all vanished.
On a vast, white expanse, only Mo Rubin and Li Fan remained, facing each other.
"Why haven't I ever seen you before? Could it be that the True Immortal left another lineage elsewhere?"
"Hm? No, that's not right. I think I came looking for you not long ago?"
"Who are you? Wait, who am I?"
Li Fan, who had seemed perfectly lucid just a moment before, was suddenly showing signs of another breakdown.
Mo Rubin frowned to himself. *His condition seems much worse than before. But the aura of his technique is identical. It has to be him...*
"Brother Xingwang, regardless of the past, all that matters is that our goal is the same," Mo Rubin said, attempting to bring Li Fan back to his senses.
Li Fan paused, looking blank. "Goal?"
Then, realization dawned. "That's right! The Heavenly Dao has grown dim, and the True Immortal's teachings are lost to the world. I must set things right and make the name of the Compassionate True Immortal glorious once more!"
As he spoke, the faceless statue in the sky seemed to react to his words, and a faint golden light shimmered across its surface.
Mo Rubin's expression changed drastically upon seeing that golden light.
He subconsciously edged away.
Looking at the somewhat dazed Li Fan, he hesitated for a moment before speaking up to draw his attention.
"Our great work is not yet complete. How could we face the True Immortal? Brother Xingwang, it would be better to wait until the True Immortal's teachings are truly restored before you seek His favor," Mo Rubin said gravely, his words carrying a hidden meaning.
Upon hearing this, Li Fan's expression turned respectful. "Little brother, your understanding is even deeper than mine?"
Mo Rubin didn't object to being called "little brother."
Back in the cult, Sun Xingwang had indeed addressed him that way.
*It seems he hasn't gone completely mad after all,* Mo Rubin thought.
Li Fan looked at Mo Rubin with a serious expression. "But there is some truth to what you say. Without accomplishing something great, I truly have no right to so frequently disturb the True Immortal."
As he muttered to himself, the image of the faceless statue in the sky faded away.
Only then did Mo Rubin let out a slight sigh of relief.
"Brother Xingwang, do you remember any of our other brothers and sisters from the cult?" Mo Rubin asked, seeing that Li Fan's mood had stabilized.
"Hmm?" Li Fan's brow furrowed at once.
He seemed to fall deep into his memories.
"The others..."
His expression shifted constantly as he mumbled a few words over and over.
"Yuzhen, Elder Cui, Brother Xuanyuan..."
"Xuanyuan? Xuanyuan, Xuanyuan..."
Then, he began repeating the name "Xuanyuan" endlessly, and the once-calm sea of consciousness grew turbulent again.
Seeing he couldn't get any more information, Mo Rubin had no choice but to give up.
"Alright, Brother Xingwang. We can talk about the past later. Let me ask you this: the incidents of 'Divine Possession' in the various provinces... that was your handiwork, wasn't it?"
Li Fan declared proudly, "Indeed! As of now, thirty-six thousand, five hundred and thirteen cultivators have fallen under my control. Under the constant influence of my will, they will soon become the most faithful believers of the supreme Red Dust Compassionate Immortal!"
"Over thirty thousand in such a short time! Unifying the world is just around the corner!"
Mo Rubin shook his head slightly. "The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is already taking this matter very seriously. I knew it was likely your doing, which is why I took charge of the investigation—to give you a warning."
"Pull back, Brother Xingwang. Thirty thousand cultivators is enough. If the situation escalates, it will certainly draw the intervention of the other Dharma Transmitters. At that point, you might risk exposing yourself," Mo Rubin advised.
But Li Fan rejected the idea outright. "Pull back? Why should I? I am hidden in the shadows, undetectable. These 'Divine Possessions' are like weeds; they cannot be burned away, for they grow again with the spring wind. Who in this world can stop me?"
Li Fan's tone was incredibly arrogant.
Mo Rubin sighed. "It's not that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is powerless against it. It's just that the incident hasn't reached the required threat level yet."
"If you continue..."
"Think about it. If I can find your sea of consciousness through the bodies of those cultivators, then the other Dharma Transmitters can surely do the same."
Though Li Fan was playing the part of a madman, he was no fool.
He didn't argue, but fell into deep thought.
Then he looked at Mo Rubin as if he had just remembered something and said suddenly, "So you really did take over that Dharma Transmitter's body."
Mo Rubin was taken aback. "Brother Xingwang, have your memories returned?"
Li Fan's expression was grave. He didn't answer directly, but instead spoke urgently to Mo Rubin. "The only way to find Brother Xuanyuan is through the cult's supreme treasure, the Xuantian Treasure Mirror. You must find a way..."
(End of Chapter)
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