"Huang sleeps within the Spirit-Dissolving Cyan River at the deepest depths of this Spirit-Dissolving Ravine."
"The Spirit-Dissolving Stones that suppress spiritual energy fluctuations here were formed through the gradual condensation of the Spirit-Dissolving Cyan River's waters over the ages."
"If even Spirit-Dissolving Stones possess such efficacy, the Spirit-Dissolving Cyan River is all the more terrifying. Even Dao Integration cultivators risk drowning if they linger within it for too long."
"Yet for Huang, this place is an invaluable sacred ground for cultivation. Only when all spiritual energy fluctuations are suppressed to the absolute extreme can he focus entirely on tempering his physical body."
With a solemn expression, Zhou unfolded a protective barrier and led everyone diving into the Spirit-Dissolving Cyan River.
They plunged deeper and deeper.
Unlike ordinary river water that grew progressively darker with depth, the water of the Spirit-Dissolving Cyan River seemed to be its own source of light. No matter how long they descended, the surroundings remained an unchanging, unnerving cyan hue.
The deep cyan waters acted like an isolating barrier, gradually shielding off even Li Fan's divine sense perception, which far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Fortunately, Li Fan had checked with Tianyang beforehand. Learning that the materials of his puppet body and his Source Power Essence were completely unaffected by the river water, Li Fan felt somewhat reassured.
As if sensing Li Fan's unease, Tianyang even took the initiative to place a protective layer of power over him.
This slight ripple of energy caught the attention of the two Dharma Transmitters.
"Senior Tian truly possesses wondrous methods!"
This place was one of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals' premier secret realms, so this was naturally not their first visit; they had long since mastered ways to barely maneuver within the waters of the Spirit-Dissolving Cyan River.
Yet this Elder Tian of the Myriad Realms Association appeared entirely unaffected...
Their evaluation of Tianyang's prowess climbed another notch.
"We have arrived..."
Looking down at a whirlpool below, Dharma Transmitter Zhou spoke softly.
Hearing this, Li Fan peered downward and saw what seemed to be a withered, emaciated figure concealed within the vortex.
The whirlpool persisted for a while before abruptly calming. Then, its rotational direction reversed, violently spewing the Spirit-Dissolving River water upward.
Only then did Li Fan realize that the whirlpool was formed entirely by that emaciated figure swallowing and exhaling river water with every breath!
"So that is Huang..."
Withered almost to a bare skeleton, Huang appeared on the surface to have nothing to do with physical power.
Yet the faint dark gold visible across his skin stood out distinctly even in the cyan depths of the riverbed, faintly hinting at the extraordinary nature of his body.
"Huang is currently asleep. If we wake him rashly, we will inevitably face a tempestuous onslaught," Zhou said, glancing at Tianyang.
A thought crossed Li Fan's mind. Tianyang wore a haughty expression, flew forward, and slapped Huang across the head.
The eyelids of Dharma Transmitters Zhou and Wei twitched violently.
Instinctively grabbing Li Fan, they retreated straight upward a short distance.
After a moment of silence, a terrifying aura erupted from the river depths like a volcano.
Huang opened his eyes from his slumber. Like a primeval behemoth, he looked cold, ruthless, and brutal.
In an instant, his gaze locked onto Tianyang's diminutive body.
Threads of golden light welled in his eyes. Gazing at Tianyang standing quietly before him, Huang raised his palm high.
*Boom!*
The calm, dormant Spirit-Dissolving Cyan River suddenly surged into wild motion.
The waters instantly turned turbulent. Watching from the sidelines, Li Fan and the other two could barely keep their footing amidst the raging currents.
And yet...
Huang's descending palm, fraught with destructive power, was firmly caught by a tender child's hand.
It could not budge a single inch.
"Huh?"
Huang's expression changed abruptly.
He tried to wrench his trapped right hand free.
Yet even after unleashing all the strength in his body, he still could not break loose.
In an instant, his body shrank down. Huang shifted from a withered middle-aged man into a starving child.
Slipping from Tianyang's grasp, he recoiled back at explosive speed.
"Who on earth are you?"
Defeated in the realm of raw strength—his absolute domain of confidence—by this stranger who had appeared out of nowhere, the shock in Huang's heart was palpable.
Far from showing the madness spoken of in legends, he merely scrutinized Tianyang with supreme caution.
"Hahahaha! Huang, I never imagined I'd live to see the day you eat dirt!"
Dharma Transmitter Wei's voice drifted down from above. Only then did Huang notice Li Fan and the two others watching.
"No need for surprise, Huang. This is Senior Tian of the Myriad Realms Association. His cultivation has reached the Longevity realm; it is only natural that you are no match for him," Zhou explained, an undisguised grin plastered across her face.
"Myriad Realms Association? What the devil is that?!" Huang offered no pleasant look to his former colleagues.
"Just how long have I been asleep?"
"Only fifteen years?" Huang asked, bewildered and skeptical.
"I should be questioning you! You pride yourself on monitoring Xuanhuang, yet you were completely oblivious to a faction as mighty as the Myriad Realms Association lurking within the Xuanhuang Realm?" Zhou said via private divine sense transmission.
She went on to brief him in detail on everything that had recently transpired within the Alliance.
"Remnants of Profound Heaven stirred up trouble, took possession of Dharma Transmitters, usurped the nest like cuckoos, and seized control of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals?"
Hearing of such a massive upheaval, Huang did not display any exceptional fury.
Instead, he pondered with cold composure, incessantly questioning Dharma Transmitter Zhou on various details.
"How much have you uncovered about the Myriad Realms Association's background?"
"Nothing at all... Don't look at me like that. This Association of theirs is as if it sprang out of thin air; there's no trace of its origins or roots. None of them match any recorded hidden experts. Were it not for the fact that only our Xuanhuang Realm remains in this sea of stars, I would genuinely suspect they hail from another cultivation world."
...
The three Dharma Transmitters swiftly exchanged information.
Then they all turned to look at Li Fan and Tianyang.
"It is fortunate Senior Tian intervened. Otherwise, given Huang's foul mood upon waking, he would surely have raised a massive racket and attracted the attention of the cultivators up in the Spirit-Dissolving Ravine. Chen might even have noticed," Wei said with hands cupped in salute, sounding rather relieved.
Huang scowled darkly, while Zhou wore an amused smile.
"You possess formidable strength."
"I had to use three-tenths of my full power to subdue you."
Without waiting for Li Fan's instructions, Tianyang noticed Huang's indignation and took it upon himself to offer consoling words.
Huang's face grew even uglier.
Because he knew that an expert of Tianyang's caliber had no need to exaggerate.
*Three-tenths of his strength...* An overwhelming sense of helplessness welled up within Huang, accompanied by a spark of hope.
Following the Heavenly Venerable's method, he had tempered his physical body day and night without pause for thousands of years.
He had already faintly sensed that he had reached some sort of limit.
Because he was a Dharma Transmitter, he could no longer defy the principles of Heaven and Earth.
His path on the Great Dao seemed to have run its course.
Yet the appearance of this Senior Tian before him seemed to offer a sliver of light.
Huang had always been straightforward in his actions, and right there in front of everyone, he openly asked for guidance.
Chapter 1061