Before this, Li Fan had harbored doubts regarding the countless corpses within the Grand Formation of Inverting Life and Death.
Too much of it defied explanation.
First, the sheer volume was astronomical. Second...
Every single corpse was relatively well-preserved.
They did not look like the remnants left behind when a great cataclysm fell and a world was obliterated.
*Originally, I suspected Heavenly Venerable Rebirth might just be another alternate identity of the Heavenly Physician. But looking at it now...*
Recalling the terror of that invisible monster from moments ago, Li Fan could not help questioning his own judgment.
*What is the connection between that monster and Heavenly Venerable Rebirth?*
Li Fan had seen Heavenly Venerable Rebirth before.
Back in his 119th lifetime, a body of white mist had abruptly materialized, instantly slaughtering three Dharma Transmitters.
Yet afterward, the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable personally stepped in, and the entire matter was quietly dropped without resolution.
*Chuanfa, the Heavenly Physician, Rebirth. There must be some kind of connection among the three of them.*
*But that invisible monster just now...*
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Sacred Embryo Li Fan's mind.
"Brother Li, for safety's sake, we should leave this place first." Young Lord Shang's voice cut through his reverie.
Retracing their steps, the two returned inside the Yin-Yang Bead.
Only this time, they emerged directly over the sea of life, directly opposite the sea of deathly silence.
Moreover, the winds across the ocean were blowing in unison toward the exit of the Lost Domain.
"Is this... seeing the guests out?"
The two exchanged glances, jolted with surprise once more.
Neither dared linger to make any rash moves, having no choice but to scurry out through the exit in embarrassment.
"Phew." Having left the Lost Domain of Life and Death and returned to the white mist, Young Lord Shang felt none of the relief of surviving a catastrophe.
Instead, he grew somewhat disheartened. "Too many secrets are buried within the Xuanhuang Realm."
"The invisible entity we encountered this time possesses strength certainly not inferior to that mysterious figure who reshaped the world. Even if the Venerable himself returns, can he truly purge everything..."
Having witnessed far too many things beyond his comprehension in such a short span of time, Young Lord Shang suddenly seemed lost in confusion.
Sacred Embryo Li Fan immediately changed the subject: "Young Lord, what do you make of that invisible presence?"
"It didn't seem like a cultivator. Otherwise, it wouldn't have turned a blind eye to us. It felt more like something carrying out a fixed directive..."
"A monster?" Young Lord Shang struggled for quite a while before squeezing out the word.
"Yet even if it is a monster, against the likes of us, it is an existence of absolute, crushing supremacy." He gave a self-deprecating laugh. "To think I presided over the Chizha Abyss for hundreds of years, mastered a divine art, and flattered myself that beneath the Longevity realm I had few equals across the Xuanhuang Realm. Who would have thought that after traveling with you for barely a year or so, Brother Li, I would witness so many terrifying and dreadful beings. Only now do I realize what a frog at the bottom of a well I truly was."
Li Fan consoled him, "It is not that you are weak, Young Lord. Rather, these old monsters hide far too deeply."
After pondering for a moment, Sacred Embryo Li Fan asked, "Are you feeling somewhat disheartened, Young Lord?"
"Far from it. As the saying goes, when a nation is on the verge of ruin, evil fiends inevitably arise. The more chaos erupts, the more it proves that the Xuanhuang Realm is already terminally ill." After his brief dip into gloom, Young Lord Shang's spirits suddenly surged with fervor again.
"However, relying on the strength of just the two of us to change all this will be rather difficult."
"We need helpers," Young Lord Shang said gravely.
"I had the same thought originally. However, finding people who are both trustworthy and sufficiently capable... is easier said than done," Sacred Embryo Li Fan sighed.
Young Lord Shang's eyes burned with resolve as he looked beyond the white mist. "I happen to have a few candidates in mind."
"Come. Let us return first. Over our recent travels, we have gathered at least some evidence. We should have at least a seventy percent chance of convincing them."
As they sped through the white mist, Young Lord Shang introduced them to Li Fan.
"Diyi Jinglun—I wonder if you have heard of him, Brother Li?"
"Though he is only at the Soul Formation stage right now, his overall strength is by no means beneath mine. He is versed in myriad arts, master of all martial disciplines, and possesses profound erudition. Truly a genius of the highest caliber in the Xuanhuang Realm. More importantly, he is utterly loyal to the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals! If we can persuade him to join us, he might even bring along an unexpected surprise."
"There is another named Ji Hongdao. He is an exceptionally rare formation genius in this day and age. Were it not for his lack of seniority and backing, I believe he could well vie for the position of Chief of the Alliance's Formation Planning Hall! Besides formations, he is also well-versed in the craft of artifact refinement..."
Young Lord Shang rattled off name after name without pause.
Every single one was someone Li Fan knew well.
"Er, actually, there is one more who might be taken into consideration. However..." Young Lord Shang hesitated slightly.
"However, this one's background is not simple. The entanglements behind him run far too deep; drawing him in might not necessarily be a good thing."
Without keeping him in suspense, Young Lord Shang continued, "Although he looks like nothing more than an unruly boy, when it comes to actual combat, he is terrifyingly strong. Even at my Dao Integration stage, I might not be able to force out his full strength. Yet his mind is not entirely lucid; whenever he sees someone, he insists on dragging them into a duel..."
Li Fan realized in an instant who Young Lord Shang was talking about.
The suspected reincarnation of Senior Brother Zhang Qianmo: Wu Chi'er.
Li Fan had once used the supreme authority of the Heavenly Profound Mirror's origin to search for information regarding Wu Chi'er.
The Alliance's internal assessment had deemed him an anima of Heaven and Earth born into human form.
Though he possessed a human body, whether in behavior, dwelling, or way of thinking, he did not resemble a mortal at all.
Instead, he was more like the concrete manifestation of worldly laws, akin to an anima of Heaven and Earth.
Wu Chi'er was not invincible in battle, but his capacity for learning was downright frightening.
Any technique unleashed against him in combat would be learned by him almost instantaneously.
The Alliance had once attempted to capture him for thorough study.
Yet, under close watch and the watchful eyes of crowds, he repeatedly managed to vanish into thin air.
By the time he reappeared, he was already thousands of li away.
Moreover, he retained no memory whatsoever of having been captured.
The Alliance had even dispatched several Dao Integration experts to join forces and slay him.
Wu Chi'er was left with neither flesh nor bone intact.
Yet shortly afterward, he reappeared in the world, very much alive.
And he had even learned several divine abilities from those very same Dao Integration cultivators.
Faced with such a thorny existence, and given that he only quietly sought people out for spars without doing anything detrimental to the Alliance's safety, the Alliance headquarters decided to merely keep him under strict surveillance and leave him alone.
Li Fan guessed that the reason Wu Chi'er possessed such uncanny abilities was likely related to Senior Brother Zhang's Grand Vow Dharma Body.
The Grand Vow Dharma Body had merged into Heaven and Earth, essentially becoming part of the worldly laws.
It was hardly surprising that he had been mistaken for an anima of Heaven and Earth.
As for whether Wu Chi'er was truly connected to Senior Brother Zhang...
Those two strikingly similar faces spoke volumes.
"You need not worry too much, Young Lord. We should turn no one away; the more, the better. After all, if what we set out to do ends in failure..."
"I fear there will no longer be any place for us in the Alliance," Sacred Embryo Li Fan said with a light chuckle.
Young Lord Shang froze for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"Then let us pay them a visit, one by one!"
Chapter 1173