Law Deduction Never Ceases

Elder Nangong seemed not to have expected Li Fan to ask such a question, freezing for a moment in surprise. Then, his gaze turned abruptly solemn. "If such a person truly exists..." "Then all the more reason never to let him near the Yanfa Jue." "To be alone in isolation for several centuries yet keep one's composure completely unaltered from beginning to end—such a person is either a madman or someone of extreme disposition..." Li Fan interrupted him. "I have heard of peerless geniuses who can enter seclusion for a century with single-minded focus. Isn't it completely normal not to suffer a mental breakdown just because one is confined?" Elder Nangong gave a faint, mocking smile and shook his head slightly, saying with absolute certainty, "That sort of genius wouldn't come here. Unless he harbors ulterior motives." Li Fan was struck dumb. At the side, the expression on Sun Xingyao's face was also somewhat awkward. "Very well, welcome to the Protector Hall. Next, I will walk you through some special precautions. Aside from the various regulations of the Alliance, what matters most are the points to keep in mind when dealing with the Yanfa Jue." "Brother Sun, you may head back now. Your mission is considered complete." Having waited for precisely these words from Elder Nangong, Sun Xingyao felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He gave Li Fan a few more words of caution before taking his leave. After talking on and on for nearly half a shichen, Nangong led Li Fan out of this space. They completed the onboarding procedures, and Li Fan collected the supplies allocated to a Protector Hall elder. Changing into the black, gold-trimmed robe distinctive to the Protector Hall, Li Fan followed Nangong to the outside of the brightest speck of light at the very center of the dome. "Once I send you inside and finish the final handover, I'll finally be liberated." Nangong smiled, looking genuinely delighted from the bottom of his heart. "By the way, one last piece of advice. There are two other Protector Hall elders guarding alongside you. Unless strictly necessary, do not transmit sound or converse with them." "In the space where the Yanfa Jue resides, every single wave of sound transmission is recorded. And someone inspects them on a regular basis." Nangong transmitted the message quietly, expressionless, as if the words hadn't come from him at all. Li Fan cupped his hands to express his gratitude. Then, bidding farewell to Nangong, he leapt and flew into the white speck of starlight. What entered his view was a scene he was already quite familiar with: the space where the Yanfa Jue resided. A colossal sphere composed of countless characters. At every fleeting moment, the characters upon the sphere shifted in endless variation. Occasionally, an entire section of characters on the sphere would pause for a brief moment, then flash with light and vanish, after which the endless shifting and deduction would begin anew. Beneath this massive sphere, a desk floated in the void. A little girl who looked merely five or six years old was sprawled across the desk. Staring at the words continuously appearing on the tabletop, she looked utterly listless—just as she had every time he had seen her before. Seeming to sense someone's arrival, the Yanfa Jue slightly raised her head. Seeing the solemn-faced Li Fan and the black-and-gold robe he wore, she curled her lip and lowered her head again. "Another ugly one." Li Fan clearly heard her quiet mutter. His body could not help but stiffen slightly. "Hehehe, you'll get used to it later on." An aged voice sounded beside Li Fan. It was a voice transmission from one of the Dao Integration elders concealed here on guard duty. "Zhang Xu," he introduced himself simply, before sinking back into silence. As for the other colleague, they never greeted Li Fan at all. Li Fan did not mind, flying toward his designated "workstation." The so-called "workstation" was actually a specialized position within this space. Resembling a crucial array node, standing inside it gave one a commanding vantage point, granting an unobstructed view of all surrounding energy fluctuations. The vast majority of the time spent garrisoning the Yanfa Jue was passed within this specific spot. *This really is more miserable than sitting in prison. No wonder none of the Dao Integration experts from the Sun family were willing to come,* Li Fan mused after arriving at his post. He made a show of looking around, appearing to familiarize himself with his working environment, but was secretly pondering where the blind spots of this monitored space lay. Apart from the constantly shifting play of light and shadow cast by the colossal sphere of characters, a quiet, almost suffocating atmosphere hung over the place at all times. And within a short time, Li Fan could find no clue as to how to break through the restrictions and secretly get in touch with the Yanfa Jue. Just like this, roughly half a year slipped by. The little girl, who had been slaving away over the desk the entire time, suddenly straightened her back abruptly and threw her hands up high. With great excitement, she cheered in a hushed voice, "Yay! Break time!" Having said that, she slumped right back down. And fell sound asleep, snoring softly. "Six shichen." At this moment, the voices of Zhang Xu and the other guarding Dao Integration elder sounded in unison. Six shichen was the Yanfa Jue's rare rest period. Once the time was up, she had to be woken on schedule. Looking at how soundly the Yanfa Jue slept, Li Fan sighed inwardly: *This really is a bit inhumane.* *She ought to get at least twelve shichen of rest.* During the half year he had been standing guard, for some reason, not a single cultivator using a Law-Audience Jade Plaque had entered this space. Opportunities for the Yanfa Jue to slack off had been virtually nonexistent. After giving it some thought, Li Fan still voiced his question to Elder Zhang Xu. After all, this fell within the scope of his duties. Zhang Xu remained silent for a moment before replying, "Three years ago, a spy from the Five Elders Association obtained a Law-Audience Jade Plaque from somewhere and infiltrated this place, plotting treachery. Although we discovered and stopped him in time, averting any serious consequences, it still alarmed the upper echelons of the Alliance." "Until the accountability investigation for that incident is completed, audiences with the Law have been suspended across the board." "If it is to resume, we will likely have to wait several more years." After saying a few brief words, Zhang Xu fell silent once more. Li Fan fell into deep thought. *Every single Law-Audience Jade Plaque is a reward bestowed by the Alliance upon cultivators who have performed outstanding meritorious deeds, incomparably precious.* *Yet one actually ended up in the hands of the Five Elders Association. Moreover, judging from Nangong's earlier reminders, the chances of Five Elders Association spies infiltrating here are by no means low. One such incident happens roughly every few decades...* *Although the Five Elders Association is no match for the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals in direct conflict, when it comes to plotting conspiracies and deceptions, the Alliance is clearly inferior.* Thanks to the heaven-defying abilities of the Heavenly Profound Mirror's origin, Li Fan already knew the whereabouts and ownership of almost all the Law-Audience Jade Plaques currently circulating outside. *As one of the three garrisons, I am strictly monitored, making it difficult to make a move directly.* *Perhaps I can take an indirect approach, using a Law-Audience Jade Plaque to create an opportunity to be alone with the Yanfa Jue.* Li Fan pondered in secret. Twelve shichen quickly passed. And yet... The Yanfa Jue was still slumped over the long desk, sound asleep. She showed not the slightest intention of waking up. From the other two garrisoning Dao Integration elders, Li Fan faintly sensed a trace of helplessness. "Brother Sun, you do it," Zhang Xu transmitted with a chuckle.