"Back then, I was nothing more than a homeless orphan, without enough clothes to keep warm or enough food to fill my belly. Day after day, I struggled on the brink of life and death, living in perpetual dread."
"After being fortunate enough to join and become a Dharma Transmitter, my destiny was transformed, and I truly came to understand the meaning of life."
The voice of Dharma Transmitter Feng echoed through the circular chamber, his face filled with reminiscence.
Next, Feng vividly described the brutality of their battles against the Ten Sects of the Immortal Dao in those days, as well as their cautious dormancy when the Great Calamity arrived—and even the thrill when the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable reappeared thousands of years later to rebuild the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals upon the ruins of cultivation.
His words seemed to carry all the Dharma Transmitters present back to that tumultuous era.
Finally, Dharma Transmitter Feng declared with resolute certainty, "I, Feng Rui, will pledge eternal allegiance to the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable, and remain forever loyal to the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals."
"Life after life, without two minds!"
"Just as it was back then!"
Feng played no ambiguous word games; he spoke plain and direct.
Above the circular chamber, the myriad phantoms of departed martyrs all radiated a faint luminescence, casting their light upon Feng Rui.
Feng Rui held his head high and his chest out, proudly accepting the scrutiny of everyone present, as if it were the supreme honor.
Every Dharma Transmitter present, Jiang included, felt an inexplicable stirring in their hearts.
They knew that Feng Rui had successfully passed the test of the Oath of the Dharma Transmitters.
Zhou, Wei, and Huang each cast an imperceptible glance at the solemn Li Fan.
When Feng Rui returned from the center of the hall, the assembled Dharma Transmitters erupted into thunderous applause in respect and celebration.
Next, the other Dharma Transmitters who had tested positive for Profound Heaven Sect techniques took the floor one by one.
Without exception, every single one passed the examination of the Oath of the Dharma Transmitters flawlessly.
"Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this?"
"Could it be that you have been concocting lies to deceive us from the very beginning?" Wei asked loudly with an unsightly grimace, confronting him directly before the entire assembly of Dharma Transmitters.
On the surface, this outburst appeared to be the humiliated anger of someone who had been duped. In truth, it was a maneuver to shift blame and draw a clear boundary.
Immortal Puppet Li Fan's expression did not change.
The situation in the circular chamber was truly unexpected and had exceeded what the puppet could handle. He was awaiting the true body's decision.
Far away in the Spirit Wood Realm, directing the puppet remotely, Li Fan pondered for a moment and ultimately decided against presenting the imagery recorded by the array showing Mo Rubin possessing Feng Rui.
For the opposition could easily turn the tables with a single claim: "The recorded imagery has been forged."
After all, now that Feng Rui had passed the test of the Oath of the Dharma Transmitters, his identity as a Dharma Transmitter had been legally and legitimately validated.
'This Feng Rui is actually loyal to Chuanfa from the bottom of his heart...'
'There are two possibilities for this.'
'Either the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable is in fact the King of Profound Heaven, and the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals and the former Profound Heaven Sect are two sides of the same coin. Mo Rubin could naturally proclaim all this boldly and with full justification.'
'Or...'
'Mo Rubin has already departed from Dharma Transmitter Feng's body, and the Feng Rui here right now is indeed a genuine Dharma Transmitter.'
'What is the truth?' Thoughts raced through Li Fan's true body.
Scenes of his past interactions with Mo Rubin surfaced in his mind once more.
Although it had been an act, the underlying intent behind certain words was nearly impossible to mask or alter.
Li Fan immediately made up his mind.
'Even if my guess is wrong, it will cost me nothing more than an immortal puppet.'
Without the slightest psychological burden, Li Fan promptly issued his instructions.
In the circular chamber.
Faced with the skeptical gazes of all the Dharma Transmitters, Immortal Puppet Li Fan offered no explanation.
Instead, he looked directly at Dharma Transmitter Jiang. "I have words that must be spoken in private."
This statement instantly stirred discontent among some of those present.
Everyone here was a brother; what could possibly be meant for Dharma Transmitter Jiang's ears alone?
A commotion rippled through the hall.
However, looking into Li Fan's earnest gaze, Jiang pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement to his condition.
With a gentle wave of Jiang's hand, a circular compartment materialized in the center of the circular chamber.
Phantoms of fallen heroes appeared outside the compartment, blocking any prying eyes from beyond.
Li Fan's body flew inside, out of his own control.
"Whatever you have to say, speak now. Only I can hear you here," Dharma Transmitter Jiang said calmly.
"How well do you know Feng Rui and the other three?" Li Fan asked with a smile.
"Every move made by any Dharma Transmitter within the Alliance cannot escape my eyes. Every deed they perform, every resource of the Alliance they mobilize, is within my grasp. I merely turn a blind eye to it. In truth, they are well aware of this themselves."
Li Fan then asked, "Then how many among the twenty-seven present today—excluding yourself—do you believe could pass the Oath of the Dharma Transmitters?"
"Feng Rui and the other three managed to pass the test of the oath so flawlessly... don't you find that strange?"
Dharma Transmitter Jiang fell silent at once.
He had witnessed every word and deed of the Dharma Transmitters over the years.
He naturally knew that they had indeed grown excessively willful and reckless.
Yet it had not affected the overall stability of the Alliance. Moreover, they were companions who had crawled out of piles of corpses together in the past.
And so, he had turned a blind eye.
But to claim that after so many years, these people still held true to their original aspirations...
He did not believe it.
Perhaps some did, but at most a mere handful.
From the moment Feng Rui and the other three had stood in righteous glory and passed the Great Oath so flawlessly, Dharma Transmitter Jiang had known something was amiss.
Yet being pointedly reminded of it by an outsider stirred a faint sigh of melancholy within him.
Pondering for a moment, Dharma Transmitter Jiang replied, "Be that as it may, they verified their oath before everyone. That proves they still qualify to hold the seats of Dharma Transmitters. Aside from the Heavenly Venerable, no one may strip them of their authority."
"As for those playing tricks behind the scenes..."
"I will personally take action and root them out."
Li Fan nodded immediately. "I can assist you."
Dharma Transmitter Jiang gave no clear answer.
The circular compartment vanished, but Jiang alone stood once more in the center of the hall.
"Feng Rui and the others have been cleared of suspicion; they remain the most loyal Dharma Transmitters of the Alliance!"
"Just like all of you!"
"As for the bandit who slandered and fabricated lies, he has already been obliterated by my hand."
Jiang proclaimed in a loud voice, setting the final tone for the incident.
The assembly of Dharma Transmitters responded with applause.
After delivering a few more official platitudes, Jiang finally announced the conclusion of the assembly.
One after another, the Dharma Transmitters took their leave.
However, Feng Rui and the other three were retained by Dharma Transmitter Jiang via divine sense transmission, claiming that there were still specific details he needed to inquire about.
Naturally, Feng Rui and his companions answered freely and concealed nothing.
Only after learning in detail from them everything that had transpired during this period did Dharma Transmitter Jiang nod slightly and allow them to leave.
Now, only he remained in the circular council hall.
It was then that Li Fan's figure slowly materialized once more.
Chapter 1072