Lu Xuejing did not know what specific danger lay in Tianling Province.
She had only sensed something slightly amiss from the cold indifference in her mother Lu Xichan's expression whenever Tianling Province came up in their conversations.
In the past, every time Chief Lu showed such a look, a storm of blood was sure to follow.
*Could the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals really be slaughtering the donkey the moment the grinding is done?*
Li Fan felt a twinge of doubt.
If that were truly the case, it seemed far too hasty.
Were they not even willing to go through the motions and stage a pretense of rewarding everyone after the Spirit-Locking Formation's completion?
Or was there another hidden story behind all this?
*Regardless, Tianling Province is no place to go.*
*Judging from the might displayed that day in the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven, the power of the Spirit-Locking Formation is likely even above Dao Integration.*
*Walking into unknown danger in person would be utter foolishness.*
*Besides, figuring out what will happen in Tianling Province doesn't require me to go there myself.*
An imperceptible glint flickered across Li Fan's eyes, and he took up a stakeout right by the Dharma Transmission Plaza.
This was an unavoidable transit stop on the way to Tianling Province.
Most array masters who had received an invitation would pass through here.
Sure enough, before long, Li Fan spotted a suitable target in the distance.
Le Wan, a Golden Core array master and one of the participants in the recent Spirit-Locking Formation competition.
Unaware of Li Fan lurking in secret, Le Wan merely hurried to activate the teleportation array to depart for his destination.
Before he left, Formless Killing Intent had already silently locked onto him.
Tailing far behind at the maximum distance capable of sustaining the Formless Killing Intent, Li Fan tracked him in secret.
After more than half a day's journey, Le Wan reached Tianling Province.
From far away, he saw a gigantic Dust-Crossing Boat suspended in the sky.
From time to time, cultivators flew toward it from all directions.
With an excited look on his face, Le Wan took flight and soon arrived outside the vessel.
Holding up his black-gold invitation, a streak of light swept over him.
Permitted through the protective light barrier, Le Wan touched down on the deck of the Dust-Crossing Boat.
"Fellow Daoist Le!"
The moment he landed, familiar acquaintances called out in greeting.
Le Wan responded to each in turn.
Many cultivators had already gathered on the ship, their faces all familiar.
Apart from the contestants of the array competition, many front-line builders and support personnel who had rendered outstanding service in rolling out the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation had also been invited aboard this Dust-Crossing Boat.
Gathered under one roof, the atmosphere was lively and buzzing.
"Now that the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation is complete, it will show its edge against this aggressive assault from the Five Elders Association. Chief Lu inviting us to observe the ceremony is truly a great fortune for our generation."
"Indeed! To finally witness the divine might of the Spirit-Locking Formation makes these years of hardship well worth it."
"I only wonder if the Five Elders Association might lose their nerve and not show up at all. Wouldn't all our preparations go to waste then?"
"Haha, don't worry. Knowing the Five Elders Association, they surely still believe we're bluffing just like in the past. Little do they know..."
"Careful with your words, Fellow Daoist! Watch your words!"
...
Surrounded by the cheerful atmosphere, the crowd waited for the arrival of the Five Elders Association's cultivators.
It was not until ten days later that their target finally appeared.
Without any warning, a beam of white light plummeted from the sky.
It shone near the border of Tianling Province, locking onto a concealed cultivator who was moving at high speed.
"So this is your Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals' Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation? Doesn't look like much to me."
"All it did was reveal my form. What else can you possibly do to me?"
Instead of panicking, the man halted his steps and brazenly mocked the Dust-Crossing Boat high above.
In an instant, righteous indignation swept through the crowd on the boat.
"A mere Soul Formation cultivator dares to act so insolent?"
"If he dared to serve as the vanguard, he can't be as simple as he looks on the surface."
"Why hasn't the Alliance reacted yet? What are they waiting for?"
...
Seeing that the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals made no move despite his provocation, the Five Elders Association cultivator let out a cold snort.
Under the watchful eyes of all, he tossed an apricot-yellow array banner into the air.
Chanting an incantation, one hundred and eight monstrous beasts of varying shapes abruptly flew from the banner.
Their bodies seemed composed of blue starlight, their ferocious countenances touched with a trace of sanctity.
"That is..."
"The Minor Heavenly Cycle Star-Shifting Formation?"
The people aboard the Dust-Crossing Boat were all accomplished array masters, and they instantly recognized the formation deployed by the Five Elders Association cultivator.
Exclamations broke out one after another.
The one hundred and eight astral beasts arranged themselves in a heavenly cycle.
Brilliant starlight spewed from their mouths, converging toward the center.
Where the one hundred and eight beams of light collided, a starry gateway slowly swung open.
Several thousand cultivators poured out from the astral gate in an instant.
Every one of them wore the battle robes of the Five Elders Association.
And the beams of light descending onto their heads, one after another, confirmed their identities as well.
"Why did we just let them open a teleportation gate?"
"What is going on? What are our people doing?"
"Rest easy, everyone. This must be a ploy to lure the enemy deep into our territory."
...
Faced with the Five Elders Association's invasion, the Alliance's prolonged inaction caused the crowd on the Dust-Crossing Boat to erupt in an uproar.
Yet the Alliance did not disappoint them.
Soon, the Spirit-Locking Formation in the sky began to move.
Within the thousands of light pillars pinning down the Five Elders Association cultivators, streaks of golden light abruptly emerged.
The golden light was razor-thin, shooting down from the sky along the light pillars at terrifying speed.
Like sharp flying swords, they moved to behead the Five Elders Association cultivators in public display.
Yet the people of the Five Elders Association showed no sign of panic.
Just as the golden lights were about to strike their heads, they were all forced to halt, hovering midair.
The golden light flared intensely, emitting an indignant hum as it tried to break free of the restraint.
Yet upon the battlefield, an invisible pair of giant hands seemed to press down on them firmly.
The golden light could not move an inch.
"This..."
A dead silence instantly fell over the Dust-Crossing Boat.
Seeing the Spirit-Locking Formation's attack blocked so effortlessly, the young array masters all wore looks of disbelief.
Some cultivators, seemingly realizing something, suddenly turned deathly pale.
Their eyes darted around in panic, looking every bit ready to flee on the spot.
Right at that moment, a low voice rang out across the battlefield.
"Heavenly Venerable Yixin, please withdraw."
"According to our agreement, you should not appear here."
Amidst the words, Ji Hongdao's figure slowly materialized, standing before the cultivators of the Five Elders Association.
"Oh?"
Silver-bell laughter echoed between heaven and earth.
"Is there anywhere under the heavens I cannot go?"
Only the voice was heard; no figure could be seen.
Yet every Alliance cultivator present wore an expression of sheer dread.
"A Longevity..."
"Heavenly Venerable?"
The expressions of the thousands of Five Elders Association cultivators did not change in the slightest, as if they had known all along that the Longevity Heavenly Venerable would intervene.
Their faces bore a single uniform look, staring ahead with utter detachment.
Separated across several provinces, watching this scene unfold through the perspective of heaven and earth, Li Fan felt his mind shudder violently.
*That voice...*
*Senior Sister Zhao?*
Chapter 404