As though the Immortal Ascension Platform of antiquity had truly returned, a vast and sacred aura billowed forth from the octagonal pavilion. The watching crowd shuddered to the depths of their souls. Even without knowing what this octagonal pavilion was, their attention was instinctively drawn entirely toward it.
It exerted an overwhelming magnetism, so potent that no one present could pull their eyes away.
Even Qian Ruochang himself, the creator of the Octagonal Immortal Ascension Platform, was momentarily dazed.
Yet he was, after all, a powerhouse entrusted with capturing Immortal Wu. He quickly shook off the trance. First, he linked the miniature octagonal pavilion into the local Dao Net that had accompanied them all along.
Once the pavilion's image shifted from solid to incorporeal, Qian Ruochang reached out and produced a sphere of blood-red light.
The crimson light seemed constrained by some invisible power, constantly battering against an unseen barrier but never managing to break free. Li Fan could faintly hear furious, desperate roars echoing from within the blood-colored sphere.
Unmoved, Qian Ruochang pressed two fingers of his right hand together like a sword and plunged them straight into the sphere of blood-red light.
Li Fan keenly perceived the local Dao Net churn as if swept by monstrous tidal waves. The local Dao Net had only just been established; its scale was currently modest and its foundation far from solid. For a moment, it felt precariously close to collapse.
Evidently, the strength Qian Ruochang summoned with this single thrust was not solely his own, but borrowed heavily from the power of the Dao Net.
"Do not lose your focus, everyone! Help Boss Qian stabilize the situation at once!"
Li Fan was eager to see what method Qian Ruochang would use to lure Immortal He Gan. Seeing the novice Immortal Hunters still entranced by the allure of the Octagonal Immortal Ascension Platform, he called out to snap them out of it.
Awakening as if from a dream, the others pulled their gazes away with lingering reluctance. Most of them then threw themselves into reinforcing the local Dao Net. However, a small minority still glanced toward the Immortal Ascension Platform from time to time, yearning flickering briefly in their eyes.
Notably, those who became distracted were by no means the mediocre among the crowd. Instead, they were the standouts like Jin Changyue and Dao Yuan.
*It seems that even when mortals are ensconced within the Dao Net, shedding their mortal shells to ascend to immortality remains inherently, fatally tempting to them,* Li Fan realized.
With everyone's assistance, the swaying local Dao Net gradually stabilized.
Qian Ruochang's fingers safely withdrew from the blood-red sphere. His fingertips, however, were thoroughly stained, turning a glaring, garish crimson.
It seemed they had reached the most critical juncture. To prevent outside interference, Qian Ruochang waved a hand to cast defensive measures around himself. Li Fan could feel that in this instant, nearly ninety-nine percent of the local Dao Net's power was mobilized by Qian Ruochang.
*Pop! Pop!*
Amid gasps of astonishment from the onlookers, flesh and blood burst apart across Qian Ruochang's burly frame, laying bare grim white bones. This was the consequence of suddenly bearing pressure far beyond his limits.
Yet what stunned all the novice Immortal Hunters present, Li Fan included, was that Qian Ruochang's skeleton was not composed of ordinary human bone. Instead, it radiated a crystalline, multicolored luster, lacking true physical substance—as if formed entirely from countless strings of the Dao Net!
Empowered by the Dao Net, ethereal flesh rapidly regenerated, veiling the bones of Dao strings once more.
Ignoring everyone's reaction, Qian Ruochang used the crimson upon his fingertips as ink and his two fingers as a brush.
Above the Octagonal Immortal Ascension Platform, he began writing in midair.
Whatever he was writing appeared to be a classified secret. Even when his bones of Dao strings had been exposed, he had paid it no mind, yet he treated this emerging symbol with extraordinary gravity.
He diverted part of the surrounding Dao Net's protective power, turning it into a hazy curtain of mist that shielded the sight from everyone.
Denied the spectacle at the crucial moment, the novice Immortal Hunters looked on with disappointment.
However...
The vast majority of the local Dao Net's power had been poured into writing that character. While this obscuring measure could fool the young Immortal Hunters, and could even fool this divine sense avatar of Li Fan's...
It could not fool the colossal Wuyou Dreamscape consciousness present here.
As if looking down from on high, it pierced through the veil and saw everything taking place within with crystal clarity.
*This is...*
*It looks remarkably similar to the character for the Transformation Between Immortal and Mortal, yet at several critical junctures, its strokes diverge.*
Strictly speaking, the Dao Net's obscuring methods were indeed extraordinary. Even this local Dao Net far surpassed the power of the Dream Paradise Li Fan had built on the foundation of Xuanhuang's living beings.
Yet one could not forget that Li Fan was also one of the builders of this local Dao Net. He possessed a profound understanding of its structure, and his divine sense carried a miniature projection of the Great Dao.
Piercing the veil was naturally far easier for him than relying on brute force.
Without alerting Qian Ruochang, Li Fan watched in silence.
When that mysterious character was completely written, brilliant radiance erupted from the Octagonal Immortal Ascension Platform. Multicolored auspicious clouds drifted forth, golden blossoms rained down from above, and immortal birds chirped in chorus.
It was unmistakably the scene of a cultivator achieving the Dao and ascending to immortality from ancient legends!
Before the phenomenon could disperse, an aura intimately familiar to Li Fan came into being right there.
A True Immortal!
From the miniature Immortal Ascension Platform, a figure no larger than a palm flew out.
Its body was entirely red, as though painted by Qian Ruochang using crimson blood.
Though small in stature, in Li Fan's eyes, it was indistinguishable from a True Immortal!
It was not merely that it possessed the Momentum of an immortal, no longer belonging to the same status as mortals.
It was also because of the unmistakable aura of immortal spiritual energy swirling around the tiny figure!
Li Fan's pupils contracted sharply.
What he had once envisioned but failed to achieve—using the Immortal Realm's Immortal Ascension Platform and linking it to the Infinite Sea—had actually been accomplished by the Shuoxing Sea faction. And it was far more comprehensive than he had imagined!
It was not just acquiring immortal traits in a single aspect.
This was creating an immortal across the board!
*Could it be that the Shuoxing Sea is already capable of mass-producing True Immortals?* Li Fan stared fixatedly at the miniature True Immortal, a tempest raging in his mind.
What was even more terrifying was that judging by Qian Ruochang's practiced ease, this was clearly not his first time doing so.
Suspicious and uncertain, Li Fan made no rash moves. Instead, he continued to observe.
The little figure did not bear Qian Ruochang's likeness.
Rather, it bore a resemblance to the blurry figure Li Fan had seen earlier in the blood-red sphere, the one that had constantly battered against its confines to break free.
After being "created" by Qian Ruochang, it did not dart about frantically.
It merely sat cross-legged in silence, closing its eyes to rest and recuperate.
Having succeeded in creating an immortal, Qian Ruochang breathed a sigh of relief.
The crimson staining his fingertips faded the moment the miniature True Immortal materialized.
Meanwhile, the octagonal tower before him, having fulfilled its purpose, crumbled into ash and vanished.
Regret surfaced on Qian Ruochang's face, but he was powerless to prevent it.
He bowed respectfully toward the miniature True Immortal. As if possessing sentience, the little figure burrowed straight into Qian Ruochang's body.
Qian Ruochang's bones of Dao strings were no ordinary matter; they were vessels of the Great Dao. Because of this, he could actually accommodate the body of a True Immortal within a mortal frame!
After taking a moment to adjust to the newfound power coursing through him, Qian Ruochang finally lowered the veil and revealed himself before the crowd.
Among the young Immortal Hunters, only a scarce few sensed the change in Qian Ruochang, their expressions turning uncertain and suspicious. Yet they also knew better than to ask about things they shouldn't.
They dutifully waited for Boss Qian to speak.
"The bait and the hunting net are both prepared. Next, the hunt officially begins."
"Are you ready?"
As Qian Ruochang spoke, he casually took down the pillar that had rested on his shoulder all along. He swung it about effortlessly, as if brandishing a lightweight wooden club.
The sight left the Immortal Hunters dumbfounded.
Even so, they answered in unison out of reflex: "We shall slay the True Immortal!"
Qian Ruochang nodded with great satisfaction. Glancing around the circular haven of life, he muttered, "This shall be the place where Immortal Wu is caught in the net."
With that, he swept the massive pillar across the space before him.
Though the pillar remained in his hands, invisible ripples of destruction spread outward through this cramped haven of life.
In an instant, they swept away and pulverized all remaining floating debris.
Then, the ripples traveled along the narrow passage outside the circular haven of life, propagating far into the distance beyond the Annihilation Lands.
Where they would ultimately reach, none could say.
It was just like ripples created by a stone hurled violently into a sea of stars.
Mortals could not discern the peculiarities of these ripples.
They would merely perceive them as a formidable, unusual surge of energy.
Yet someone who had stepped into the realm of immortals, such as Li Fan...
Could read a wealth of information from these ripples.
This included the identity of the True Immortal who had triggered them, where they were located, why they had acted, and so on.
Although Li Fan was not an orthodox immortal who had ascended via the Immortal Realm's ascension platform, as a half-immortal, he could still barely decipher the contents.
"Qiongqu Star Realm, Duty Immortal Official..."
"Obtained a World Crossing Mysterious Coffin, preparing to cross the world and flee."
"Nearby immortal friends, make haste..."
Li Fan savored the contents of the ripples, a strange look gradually stealing across his face.
No matter how he looked at it, this so-called trap seemed exceedingly crude.
With such a broad broadcast, how could they be certain it would be Immortal He Gan who took the bait?
Moreover, Immortal He Gan had survived numerous tribulations for so long, and his conduct was cautious to the extreme. Could such a simplistic, ostentatious display truly deceive him into walking into a trap?
Li Fan was deeply skeptical.
Unless...
*Unless this miniature True Immortal—this so-called Duty Immortal Official of the Qiongqu Star Realm—is an old acquaintance of Immortal He Gan!*
*And not much time has passed since he was captured by the Immortal Hunters, meaning Immortal He Gan knows nothing about it.*
*Perhaps...*
Recalling how the two immortals Xi and Yi had recently used a World Crossing Mysterious Coffin to flee, this Duty Immortal Official's infiltration near the Shuoxing Sea had very likely been for the sake of a World Crossing Mysterious Coffin as well!
*In that case, Qian Ruochang must truly have a World Crossing Mysterious Coffin on him.*
*It's called a trap, yet it isn't purely a trap.*
*If Immortal He Gan truly possesses the ability to slaughter everyone lying in ambush here, he will naturally obtain the mysterious coffin as well.*
*Furthermore, that miniature True Immortal...*
In Li Fan's observation, the subtle shifts in Qian Ruochang's expression differed slightly from before.
Even if the change was negligible under ordinary scrutiny, Li Fan was certain it was an effect brought about by the miniature True Immortal possessing him.
*To successfully stimulate the power of the Immortal Ascension Platform, one must use the corresponding True Immortal seal characters. For instance, the Transformation Between Immortal and Mortal, or the one Qian Ruochang just wrote. Perhaps it must even be written by a specific True Immortal to be effective.*
*Duty Immortal Official...*
*The Shuoxing Sea has mastered the method of forging a True Immortal's identity using their essence blood. It can even fool the Infinite Sea's identity verification.*
Li Fan's mind continuously replayed that character, analyzing whether it could still be used upon the stone slab left behind by King Xuantian.
After the True Immortal ripples went out, they vanished like a clay ox plunging into the sea, eliciting no response whatsoever.
Yet Qian Ruochang seemed confident that Immortal Wu would take the bait. Methodically, he issued a series of orders to the novice Immortal Hunters.
Commands were executed one after another, and everyone hid within the local Dao Net in turn. Qian Ruochang then cloaked them in immortal spiritual energy. Even when Li Fan peered with his dreamscape power, discerning their figures proved difficult.
The World Demise Black Arrows were distributed, fusing into everyone's bodies, primed to fire at a moment's notice.
The Dao string connecting the local Dao Net to the main Dao Net was quietly severed at some unknown point. Though stripped of the Shuoxing Sea's main Dao Net's support, Li Fan, hidden within the local Dao Net, did not feel its strength diminish much.
This was almost certainly thanks to Qian Ruochang, whose skeleton of myriad Dao strings anchored the center of the local Dao Net.
*It seems bringing us along on this immortal hunt makes us nothing more than dead weight.*
*With the combat prowess Qian Ruochang currently displays, he could fight Immortal He Gan head-on entirely on his own. There is no need for us to intervene at all...*
*Or perhaps these young Immortal Hunters serve another purpose.*
The various experiences throughout this training flashed swiftly before Li Fan's eyes as he pondered the possibilities.
Meanwhile, in the void of the circular haven of life, Qian Ruochang produced a mysterious coffin.
In appearance, it was identical to the one everyone had seen during their first mission.
Qian Ruochang stared at the mysterious coffin for a long time before gently tapping the lid.
Then he leaped inside and lay down just like that.
He did not seal the lid completely, however, leaving a tiny gap.
Concealed within the Dao Net, the novice Immortal Hunters waited patiently for their prey to appear.
Deep in the Annihilation Lands, there were no other living beings in this star realm aside from them.
Time slipped by quietly in the dead silence. No one knew how long had passed.
Someone suddenly noticed that the tranquil strings of the Dao Net seemed to tremble ever so slightly.
Yet when they looked closer, it felt like a trick of the senses.
Within the Dao Net, there was still nothing else.
"It's not an illusion."
"Someone is here," Dao Yuan said in a low voice, tense yet carrying a hint of excitement.
Aside from that initial faint tremor, Immortal Wu left no further trace.
They could not even tell whether he was currently inside the local Dao Net or not.
Compared to the two immortals Xi and Yi, who had been impossible to see or hear, this Immortal Wu was unmistakably even more enigmatic and elusive.
Just as everyone was at a loss for what to do, faint, sacred chanting suddenly arose from within the mysterious coffin.
It sounded familiar to everyone—it was the exact same chant that had sounded when the two immortals Xi and Yi fled using their coffin.
Except last time, they had observed from afar. This time, Qian Ruochang was inside the coffin, and everyone shared the same Dao Net.
Consequently, they heard it far more clearly.
Slowly, subtle changes crept into the way everyone looked at the mysterious coffin.
Their vision seemed split in two: on the left was a cataclysm of apocalyptic ruin;
on the right was a brand-new, idyllic world devoid of sorrow and worry. The stark contrast inevitably planted a thought in everyone's hearts—the urge to hide inside the mysterious coffin to escape the calamity.
Chapter 1456