Facing Zhang Qianmo's interrogation, Li Fan merely smiled and offered no reply.
"To think that the sect once known as the foremost under heaven has now fallen so low as to consort with demonic beasts."
A hint of contempt flickered across Zhang Qianmo's face. "It seems the efforts of the Immortal Dao sects over all these years haven't been in vain."
Li Fan's expression remained unchanged, his tone faint and aloof. "Senior Brother Zhang, some things in this world are not as simple as they appear on the surface.
"If I said I have no connection whatsoever to this Profound Heaven Sect, would you believe me?"
Zhang Qianmo looked at Li Fan as if looking at an idiot, wearing an expression that practically asked *do you honestly think I would believe that?* He gave a cold snort and kept silent.
Li Fan chuckled and dwelt no further on the matter.
Sizing up Zhang Qianmo, he leafed through the memories of Li Chen, the man he possessed, and discovered a few intriguing details he hadn't noticed before.
After a moment of pensive silence, he spoke out to test the waters: "The Profound Heaven Sect... that is something from many years ago. You Immortal Dao sects treat it as a taboo; all these years since I entered the Purple Cloud Sect, I have never once heard any news regarding it.
"Senior Brother, you aren't that much older than me. How could you know all these deep secrets so clearly?"
Zhang Qianmo's expression shifted slightly, though he still gave no answer.
Seeing that his guess had been confirmed, Li Fan pressed on: "In the past, I always felt that Master and Martial Uncle treated you rather strangely.
"Back then, I assumed it was simply because your talent was too extraordinary.
"Thinking back now..."
Li Fan smiled.
Zhang Qianmo's face slowly darkened.
"On top of that, although we are fellow disciple brothers, the spells and divine abilities at your command are vastly superior to mine!
"Especially that Purple Core Nirvana Method of yours..."
When Li Fan said this, Zhang Qianmo's expression changed completely.
He gave Li Fan a profound look, as if wanting to engrave his image into memory forever.
A moment later, his aura—already weakened to that of a mere mortal—began to vanish rapidly.
Somewhat startled, Li Fan rushed forward to check, but it was already too late.
By the time he reached Zhang Qianmo's side, Senior Brother Zhang had completely lost all breath of life.
"Suspended animation?"
"Nirvana?"
Without lowering his guard, Li Fan began to inspect him.
After a long time, Li Fan stood up and stroked his chin.
The result was somewhat unexpected.
Zhang Qianmo was truly dead.
Moreover, unlike before, he did not undergo nirvanic rebirth from the purple core after death.
He had fallen completely.
Were this in the real world, an anomaly would have descended from the heavens by now.
"A secret art that allows one to end his own life even with all vital acupoints sealed...
"Knowing ancient secrets, holding a subtly different status within the sect...
"Possessing merely Foundation Establishment cultivation, yet harboring grand, heaven-defying ambitions. His vision was frighteningly high..."
Thoughtful, Li Fan mused, "It seems this Senior Brother Zhang had another identity after all.
"A pity..."
To be safe, Li Fan did not remove the Immortal-Severing Stone needles. Instead, he searched directly on Zhang Qianmo's corpse.
Apart from a storage ring, there was nothing of value.
He tried to project his divine sense into the ring to see what lay inside.
Yet a flash of purple lightning blocked him out.
"It seems to have a restriction that can't be unraveled." After more than a dozen failed attempts, Li Fan felt a bit of regret.
"Forget it. I couldn't bring it back to reality anyway."
Li Fan simply gave up.
"Senior Brother Zhang is dealt with. Next is that Manager Song."
After some thought, Li Fan dug a pit in the secret chamber and laid Zhang Qianmo's corpse inside.
He then covered it with the slab of Immortal-Severing Stone.
Afterward, he headed straight toward the Rebirth Longevity Tree in the center of the city.
As he drew close, he released his aura.
"Which senior brother has arrived?!" Song Hesong's slightly surprised voice called out.
Before long, a figure clad in a grey Daoist robe appeared before Li Fan.
"So it is Senior Brother Li!"
Li Fan did not exchange pleasantries, speaking in a cold voice straight away: "Manager Song, you've managed this Ningyuan City quite well, haven't you!"
Song Hesong was taken aback by Li Fan's aggressive, accusatory stance right from the start, thinking that their plot had been exposed and the ambush prepared by him and the others had leaked.
He almost lashed out by reflex.
However, he held back and asked probing questions: "Senior Brother, what do you mean by that?"
Li Fan snorted. "Senior Brother Zhang and I found certain taboo items in the city. If it is exposed that these things appeared within our Purple Cloud Sect's territory, never mind a minor manager like you—even the sect itself would likely be heavily implicated."
"Taboo items?" Song Hesong couldn't help but look confused.
Assuming an expression of fearful ignorance, Song Hesong asked, "Just what object could violate such a grave taboo? I beg Senior Brother to enlighten me!"
Li Fan turned and flew toward Mr. Bai's courtyard.
"Follow me!"
Song Hesong watched Li Fan's departing figure and hesitated for a moment.
Sweeping with his divine sense, he confirmed that Chu Liang and the others were still lying in ambush at the planned location without any mishaps.
Relying on his Golden Core cultivation, Song Hesong felt secure and quietly followed behind.
Soon, he arrived at the entrance to the underground secret chamber.
Li Fan's seemingly surprised voice echoed from below: "Huh? Where is Senior Brother Zhang?"
Song Hesong swept the area with his divine sense. Finding no ambush, he slipped inside as well.
Upon clearly seeing the damaged, faceless stone statue standing in the secret chamber, he froze for a moment.
For this statue lay completely outside the perception of his divine sense.
"Could the taboo item Senior Brother mentioned be this stone statue?" Song Hesong couldn't help asking.
Li Fan nodded and drew closer. "Indeed. It is this Profound Heaven Divine Statue!"
"Profound Heaven Divine Statue..." Manager Song's brows furrowed slightly. He seemed to have heard this name a very long time ago.
A moment later, as if recalling something, his body trembled slightly, his pupils constricting.
He jerked his gaze back toward the faceless stone statue.
Right at that moment...
*Pfft!*
A stone needle thrust viciously into his dantian from behind.
Horrified beyond measure, he moved to strike back, only for the circulation of his internal qi to stutter and seize.
What awaited him were the remaining thirty-five Immortal-Severing Stone needles.
With all the vital acupoints throughout his body sealed, Song Hesong slumped limp to the ground.
A surge of remorse welled up in his mind, yet a sliver of hope lingered. Straining, he asked, "What is the meaning of this, Senior Brother? I truly had no idea this Profound Heaven Divine Statue was hidden in the city.
"Though I am guilty of dereliction of duty, my offense does not warrant this..."
Li Fan's words cut him off mercilessly, sending his heart sinking straight to the bottom:
"What if we add conspiring with outsiders with malicious intent? For a Golden Core cultivator to masquerade as a Qi Condensation disciple—it must have really been beneath your dignity!"
Song Hesong's face instantly drained of all color.
He still wished to make one last struggle, but it was utterly in vain.
Li Fan approached step by step. "Let me see just what you know."
Having caught every subtle shift in Song Hesong's expression just now, Li Fan wore a chilling smile.
Song Hesong watched as the other man took out hammers, knives, nails, and other tools from the wooden box one by one, setting them unhurriedly upon the table.
Cold sweat couldn't help but drip from his forehead.
Chapter 284