Chapter 965: The Three Ancient Lineages of the Immortal Alliance
Chapter 965: The Three Ancient Lineages of the Immortal Alliance
When Mo Rubin saw "Sun Xingwang" return to his senses, his face brightened with relief.
To his immense frustration, however, Li Fan’s words came to an abrupt halt, trailing off into silence.
His expression suddenly turned vacant, his eyes a pair of empty voids.
A long moment passed before a flicker of light returned to them. He subconsciously glanced around the room.
"And you are...?" Li Fan asked, his gaze settling on Mo Rubin with a look of genuine confusion.
The stark contrast between his lucidity moments ago and his current state made Mo Rubin take a deep, steadying breath.
He knew that the technique Sun Xingwang cultivated was exceedingly bizarre, the strangest among all the twelve Law Kings.
But to witness its effects firsthand, to see it manifest in such an outlandish way, was still profoundly unsettling.
"Hmm... so he really did lead Dharma Transmitter Feng to my resting place on purpose that day. He wanted me to infiltrate the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance all along."
While Mo Rubin was lost in thought, Li Fan seemed to finally recognize him.
"Ah, it's you, Brother Bin."
"How did we get here?"
Li Fan surveyed his surroundings with a puzzled frown.
Mo Rubin sighed softly, thinking to himself, "Well, at least he still remembers me. That saves me the trouble of another long explanation."
He then gave Li Fan a brief summary of how he had replaced Dharma Transmitter Feng, ascended to the highest echelons of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, and was now plotting to reclaim the Xuantian Treasure Mirror.
"The Xuantian Treasure Mirror was the sole immortal artifact refined from the Xuantian King's own lifeblood. Although the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has used it all these years, my observations tell me they've never gained full control. It's more of a cooperative relationship."
"As long as we can regain command of the Xuantian Treasure Mirror, we might be able to use it to locate the Xuantian King."
Taking advantage of Li Fan's fleeting clarity, Mo Rubin spoke concisely.
"In my condition, knowing the details is useless. Just tell me what you need me to do," Li Fan replied, displaying a pragmatic and surprisingly self-aware attitude.
Mo Rubin was greatly pleased. "The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is currently governed by two powers that check and balance each other: the Dharma Transmitters and the Mirror Holders," he whispered. "Beyond them, a third lineage, the Illusionary Truth Sages, operates from the shadows as a further check on their power."
Li Fan frowned slightly. "The Alliance's leadership is that complicated? And what are these Mirror Holders and Illusionary Truth Sages...?"
"I've never heard of them before."
Mo Rubin nodded slightly. "I only learned of this after taking over Dharma Transmitter Feng's body. The leaders of these three lineages rarely show themselves, so it's perfectly normal that the outside world knows nothing of them."
"The so-called Dharma Transmitters are the cultivators who survived from the era when they followed the Dharma Spreader, promoting the New Law."
"As for the Mirror Holders, their name says it all. Their purpose is to regulate the power of the Heavenly Profound Mirror. For years, the Alliance has never given up on its ambition to completely possess the artifact. Relying on the methods left behind by the Dharma Spreader, they have been steadily eroding its autonomy, increasing their control bit by bit."
"As for the most mysterious of the three, the Illusionary Truth Sages..."
"I've had very little contact with them during this time. However, it seems they have some connection to a creation known as 'Era' and that beast lord, Emperor Sanmo. By wielding unparalleled deductive abilities and a power that blurs the line between illusion and reality, they can manifest powerful cultivators out of thin air to fight for them..."
Mo Rubin shared all the intelligence he had gathered.
After listening, Li Fan waved his hand impatiently. "What's the plan?"
"It seems that even for you, a Dharma Transmitter, acquiring the Heavenly Profound Mirror won't be an easy task."
Mo Rubin nodded, not denying the difficulty. "However, my plan is already showing initial success."
"The Heavenly Profound Mirror possesses its own consciousness. Since controlling it directly is difficult, we will force it to cooperate with us."
"Brother Xingwang, you previously managed to leak the schematics of the Xuantian Spirit-Sealing Formation into the Alliance. With me fanning the flames, the Dharma Transmitter lineage is now growing restless."
"They intend to use the power of the Xuantian Spirit-Sealing to completely master the Heavenly Profound Mirror, and in doing so, crush the Mirror Holder lineage for good..."
"But you and I both know that the Xuantian Spirit-Sealing can only force the mirror to execute certain commands. To truly, completely control the Xuantian Treasure Mirror..."
"Hmph, besides the Xuantian King himself, no one else in this world is capable of it!"
"Naturally, the Heavenly Profound Mirror will not submit to being shackled like this. As the restraints tighten, we can approach it. We'll offer to help it resolve its crisis in exchange for its help in finding the Xuantian King."
"Of course, if it refuses..."
A sharp glint appeared in Mo Rubin's eyes. "Then we might as well let the Xuantian Spirit-Sealing proceed a step further."
Li Fan interrupted him. "The mirror's attitude is unknown. I fear it won't be too enthusiastic about finding the Xuantian King. It might even try to obstruct us..."
Mo Rubin smiled. "You forget, Brother Xingwang, that the mirror was refined by the Xuantian King himself. It is infused with his Dao. It is incapable of falsehood and must abide by its promises."
Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that so..."
His expression grew vacant, a fog once again threatening to cloud his mind.
Seeing this, Mo Rubin quickly changed the subject. "Therefore, what you need to do now, Brother Xingwang, is to work with me from the inside and out to gradually build my prestige."
"I must gain the trust of the majority of the Dharma Transmitters. Only then can I continue to push the Xuantian Spirit-Sealing plan forward."
"For the next half a month, expand your Divine Manifestations at the fastest possible rate. Once you've caused enough panic, I will make my move. You will then cooperate with me to stage a little show. We will destroy most of the Divine Manifestations, leaving only a few in reserve."
Mo Rubin laid out his instructions.
Li Fan nodded repeatedly, immediately agreeing.
"By the way, your condition..." Mo Rubin's eyes held a trace of concern.
"It's fine. I have my own way of recording truly important matters."
As he spoke, the Faceless Immortal Statue materialized once more in the sky above.
Li Fan gazed at the statue and closed his eyes in deep concentration.
A faint golden light emerged again, enveloping the statue's entire form.
Then, Li Fan opened his eyes and made the statue vanish.
"It will have to do."
Li Fan stated calmly.
Mo Rubin appeared thoughtful but didn't press the matter.
"Our plan is nearly foolproof. The only thing we need to worry about..."
Mo Rubin paused, his expression turning uncharacteristically grave.
"...is Dharma Transmitter Jiang."
"If there is anyone in the current Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance who could truly shoulder the burden of its revival, it would be him and him alone."
"Dharma Transmitter Jiang..."
"He truly has a measure of the Xuantian King's brilliance in his prime."
Mo Rubin gave the man an extraordinarily high evaluation.
"Dharma Transmitter Jiang..." A flicker of thought crossed Li Fan's mind, but he didn't pursue it.
Instead, he feigned complete indifference.
"With you orchestrating things, I am at ease. I just need to cooperate with you from the shadows."
Mo Rubin nodded. "That is how it should be."
(End of Chapter)
Comments