"Hmm?"
Looking at the four cultivators who had suddenly materialized before him, Li Fan was slightly surprised.
Ever since he began stirring up waves in this life under the guise of an "Ancient Heavenly Mechanism Sect cultivator," Li Fan had become exceptionally cautious.
Whenever he went out, he made sure to conceal his whereabouts with the secret art Covering the Sky with One Hand.
This secret art, which had shielded him from the Profound Net's detection in his previous life, was truly extraordinary. In the vast Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, countless cultivators longed to catch a glimpse of Li Fan.
Yet not one had managed to get their wish.
He had not expected that today would finally bring a few uninvited guests.
"Who are you?" Li Fan asked. He did not expect them to answer truthfully; he was merely stalling for time.
Sensing the aura radiating from the four black-robed cultivators, Li Fan felt somewhat relieved.
They were far weaker than Tianyang, likely at the Nascent Soul realm.
"What do you want with me?" Li Fan asked, pretending ignorance.
"You'll know soon enough!" one of them said coldly. "Form the formation!"
Taking positions at four corners, each black-robed cultivator shot a beam of golden light from an artifact in hand.
Golden threads crisscrossed through the air, instantly erecting a dazzling formation around Li Fan.
Like an enormous bell, it trapped Li Fan within.
Li Fan's eyes flickered. He moved to dodge, but the surrounding space felt as though it had frozen, leaving him unable to break free.
"Constrict!" the four shouted in unison.
The golden bell rapidly contracted, shrinking smaller and smaller.
Its golden contours were on the verge of binding Li Fan completely.
"The Light-Splitting Dragon-Trapping Formation..."
Trapped inside, Li Fan was not panicked in the least.
Having arduously studied the Dao of formations over several lifetimes, he naturally recognized at a glance what formation the four black-robed cultivators were casting together.
It was one of the premier trapping formations circulating in the world today, deployable by three or more cultivators working in concert.
The more people setting the formation, the greater its power, making it easy to capture targets above their cultivation realm.
Under normal circumstances, four Nascent Souls joining forces could easily ensnare even a Soul Formation cultivator.
However...
Li Fan sneered inwardly. Though unable to move, dozens of Great Five Elements Oblivion Swords shot forth from all across his body.
Destructive black light scattered outward.
Feeling the terrifying aura permeating the black light, all four black-robed cultivators paled slightly.
Subconsciously, they moved to dodge.
Yet immediately afterward, they discovered to their horror that the black light swords were not aimed at them.
Instead, they flew toward the various corners of the Light-Splitting Dragon-Trapping Formation!
"Not good!"
One of the cultivators cried out in dismay, finally realizing that the black beams erupting from Li Fan struck with pinpoint precision against the formation's crucial nodes.
*Boom!*
Gold and black light violently clashed, and the golden bell, which had appeared almost solid, instantly dimmed.
The seemingly unbreakable trapping formation loosened with it.
"Petty tricks—daring to display your meager skills before a master!"
Amidst shifting light and shadow, Li Fan's figure vanished from the dragon-trapping formation.
*Besides deduction arts, this man is actually proficient in formations?*
*How is this possible?*
In that instant, the thought flashed through the minds of all four black-robed cultivators.
"The intelligence is wrong! Retreat!" the leader barked in a low voice.
However, just as they were about to withdraw, they discovered to their bewilderment that the sky had suddenly darkened.
As if a dark cloud had blotted out the heavens.
Then, dozens of golden beams flew out from the dark cloud. With lightning speed, they outlined an even larger golden alms bowl in the air, trapping the four of them beneath it.
"The Light-Splitting Dragon-Trapping Formation?!"
The black-robed cultivators shook violently, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Not only had he turned their own trick against them in the blink of an eye, but this formation appeared far more intricate than the one the four Nascent Soul cultivators had laid together!
Although slightly inferior in raw power, compared to the version widely circulated in the cultivation world, it carried subtle, unknown improvements.
It was precisely this difference that meant even if they wanted to break the formation, it would take considerable effort.
At this point, the four black-robed cultivators had no choice but to go all out.
Within the colossal golden bowl, four distinct grotto-heaven visions manifested one after another: a solitary snowy peak, a misty jungle, a sword-straight mountain, and a vast plain.
Beneath the dark cloud and above the golden bowl, Li Fan stood aloft.
Looking down upon the four Nascent Soul cultivators below, killing intent surged within his heart.
Not all of these men were well-versed in formations, requiring magical artifacts to set one up. Thus, the formation laid in haste naturally had flaws.
Against an ordinary cultivator, such flaws would not have mattered.
Yet in Li Fan's eyes, the Light-Splitting Dragon-Trapping Formation they had laid was riddled with holes.
Having broken out of their formation, he immediately struck back.
First, he activated the secret art Covering the Sky with One Hand, blotting out the sky to sever any potential outside surveillance.
Then he used the False Words artifact purchased from the Heavenly Profound Mirror to jam talisman communications.
Next, he laid down the Dharma-Exploding God-Startling Formation to temporarily elevate his techniques and moves to the Nascent Soul realm.
Finally, he used the Light-Splitting Formation to temporarily trap them.
"When I was at Foundation Establishment, I could slay Nascent Souls."
"Now my cultivation has advanced to the late Golden Core stage. To my eyes, the four of you are simply marked for the slaughter!"
"Heaven-Overturning!"
A colossal palm descended from the heavens. The four cultivators within the golden bowl were like turtles in a jar, with nowhere to run.
The chill of the snowy peak drifted forth; ghostly shrieks rang out from the misty jungle; the sheer mountain thrust upward to meet the blow; curling wisps of smoke rose from the plain...
The grotto-heaven visions shifted as the four unleashed every method at their disposal.
Four-colored radiance intertwined and converged, colliding against the Heaven-Overturning Palm.
Yet it was useless!
Like paper, it collapsed upon contact.
The giant palm bore down overhead, and amid screams of agony, their bodies shattered inch by inch.
The grotto-heaven visions reemerged, their writhing flesh and blood reforming into complete bodies.
With lingering momentum, the Heaven-Overturning Palm ignored their physical bodies and slammed toward the four grotto-heavens instead.
*Bang!*
The grotto-heavens trembled; within the peak, the misty jungle, and the plain, an apocalypse seemed to arrive.
Amid thunderous roars, massive cracks surfaced throughout the grotto-heaven domains.
Peaks collapsed, jungle trees fell, and the plains split apart...
It seemed as though in the next breath, the four grotto-heavens would be utterly destroyed.
Yet these black-robed cultivators coordinated with extraordinary tacit understanding; at this life-and-death juncture, not one shrank back.
Pushing their dharmic powers to the absolute limit, the four combined their strength and actually withstood the Heaven-Overturning Palm through sheer force.
The illusory giant palm dissolved into nothingness, and the violently trembling grotto-heavens finally settled back into calm.
Looking thoroughly shaken, the four hurriedly drew upon the surrounding spiritual energy to mend their damaged grotto-heavens.
At the same time, they swallowed pills and searched for Li Fan's figure.
"That divine ability was immensely powerful; Li Fan must have expended a tremendous amount of energy as well. We seize this chance to break the dragon-trapping formation!"
"This man is definitely not the mere Golden Core he appears to be. He may well have recovered from his injuries long ago."
"Indeed! We must send word back. There is a high chance this man is bait cast out by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals!"
The four conversed via divine sense as they raced against time to heal their wounds.
Chapter 474