Chapter 991: Once Ensnared, Escape is Impossible
Chapter 991: Once Ensnared, Escape is Impossible
Li Fan was certain: the spiderweb hadn't been in this hidden grotto-heaven before Mo Rubin left.
"A sudden appearance... is this meant to be a hint for me?"
There was no spider, no weaver to be found on the web. It was as if it had simply materialized from nothing.
As Li Fan watched, a butterfly fluttered its wings and settled upon the web.
The butterfly sensed no danger at all. In fact, it even seemed quite comfortable, crawling back and forth across the web on its delicate legs.
This web was unlike any other; it wasn't sticky. It was also incredibly strong, not even trembling in the slightest as the butterfly moved.
The butterfly seemed to be enjoying itself immensely on the web.
But it couldn't stay on the web forever. It needed to find food, to survive.
But just as it was about to lift off from the web...
Something happened that made Li Fan's pupils contract.
As if sensing the butterfly's attempt to leave, the once-harmless web tightened in a flash.
An unseen force erupted from it, a powerful suction that yanked the butterfly back.
Caught off guard, the butterfly's fragile body couldn't withstand such a tremendous pull. It was instantly torn into a cloud of fine dust, which was then drawn back and scattered evenly across the pristine white web.
In the blink of an eye, the web absorbed it completely. The butterfly's remains fused with the strands, becoming utterly indistinguishable.
And the web remained, hanging silently in the corner, as if that violent spectacle had never occurred.
...
Li Fan, who had witnessed the entire sequence, drew a long, deep breath.
The hint was so blatant, he could no longer deny it. He finally understood the source of the subtle unease that had been nagging at him, the truth he had been overlooking.
His previous deduction hadn't been wrong.
Like the butterfly stumbling into the web, the Faceless Immortal likely had no interest in a cultivator as weak as Li Fan.
Whether he was borrowing the statue's power to put on a show of strength or simply loitering under its very nose...
...none of it would have drawn the True Immortal's attention.
As long as he maintained that status from start to finish, there would indeed be no issue.
But if he tried to break free from the True Immortal's control, or suddenly displayed a power that could pique the interest of the immortal being itself...
...the outcome would likely be the same as the butterfly's: an instantaneous backlash that would tear him to pieces!
To draw an analogy to his own situation: in this life, with his Nascent Soul cultivation and Dao Integration combat strength, he could continue to play his games using the power of the Faceless Immortal's statue without much issue.
But the moment he chose to use [Truth], it would be like the butterfly suddenly beating its wings—it would instantly alert the Faceless Immortal.
How fast would the True Immortal react? Could it influence, or even halt, the process of [Truth]?
Li Fan had no way of knowing.
However, in life 115, when the immortal from the Immortal Ruins annihilated the Xuanhuang Realm with a single glance, the sheer force of that power had affected the process of [Truth]. The world around Li Fan had not immediately dissolved into illusion.
Instead, a black void had appeared, and time had continued to flow outside of it.
Perhaps this suggested that a power level reaching or approaching that of a Nameless True Immortal could indeed interfere with the workings of [Truth].
Most importantly, the faceless statue had already chosen Li Fan to serve as a kind of "agent."
Even that golden power of will had begun to manifest within his own body...
He was, in every sense, caught deep within the web, tangled in a thousand threads!
It was almost no different from standing directly before the True Immortal.
A True Immortal might not deign to look upon an ant at its feet, but when that ant suddenly began to shine, it would inevitably draw the immortal's gaze!
"..."
After pondering this for a long time, Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat.
"Thank goodness my intuition warned me against using [Truth] right away."
"Otherwise, to face a True Immortal head-on with no preparation..."
Even with his current level of understanding, he had to admit his chances would have been slim to none.
After a brief wave of terror, Li Fan steadied his mind.
The unease that had been gnawing at him slowly began to fade, and with it, much of his fear.
Fear is born from the unknown.
Now that he understood the source of the threat, Li Fan found himself growing calm.
"In truth, the situation isn't as hopeless as I first imagined. After all, I don't need to confront the True Immortal directly. I just need to find a way to successfully use [Truth] right under its nose."
"This life has only just begun. I have plenty of time to figure this out."
"Back when I was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, I managed to use [Truth] right under the nose of the Heavenly Doctor. Now, with strength rivaling the Dao Integration realm, why shouldn't I be able to do the same before a True Immortal?"
Li Fan's thoughts settled, and the panic vanished from his eyes, leaving them as still and unfathomable as a dark pool.
Just then, another change quietly took place on the web within the hidden grotto-heaven.
Another butterfly appeared, dancing gracefully through the air before landing upon the web.
Just as before, it was blissfully unaware of the great peril it was in.
This time, however, just as the butterfly was about to take flight, something different occurred!
A sudden gust of wind swept through, making the web itself tremble violently.
As a result, the strange suction force never materialized.
Seizing the opportunity, the butterfly quickly flapped its wings and flew away.
It vanished into the air.
As if it were a play, once these two scenes had concluded, the web, the butterfly, and the wind all vanished in an instant.
Glancing around, Li Fan could find no trace that they had ever existed within the hidden grotto-heaven.
"Quite the clever illusion."
But Li Fan wasn't concerned with how Mo Rubin had created the scene, but rather with the deeper meaning it held.
"Whether it was the statue or the Myriad Spirits Ambrosia, Mo Rubin seemed desperate to avoid them."
"Coupled with this elaborate hint, it's clear he understood the consequences of being caught in a True Immortal's web."
"And yet, from the look of things, he has already managed to escape it."
The image of the gust of wind and the butterfly taking flight replayed in Li Fan's mind.
And with it, he faintly grasped something he had previously overlooked.
The faceless statue was the totem of the Xuantian Sect; in the past, they must have been common within the sect's domain.
But in the memories of Ji Yuzhen, a Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect, Li Fan had seen no trace of any faceless statues.
"Either the statues didn't exist within the Xuantian Sect at that time..."
"...or..."
"...some power severed the very existence and influence of the statues from reality."
At this thought, Li Fan narrowed his eyes.
"For this to have happened to two different Dharma Kings... this severing was no coincidence."
"It seems there are still more secrets buried within the story of the Xuantian Sect's fall. And Mo Rubin, who so deeply understands the terror of the True Immortal's power, doesn't even dare to speak of it plainly."
"He can only resort to these abstract hints..."
A fresh weight settled in Li Fan's heart.
"It seems that to break this deadlock, I will still need Mo Rubin's help."
"First, I'll cooperate with him in his coercion of the Heavenly Profound Mirror."
With that thought, Li Fan drifted away.
—
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