Under the gaze of the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable, the layers of defense lines established by the Five Elders Association in Jiushan Province collapsed in an instant.
Before such an absolute disparity in strength, all struggle and resistance were futile!
Every living being within the province—including the cultivators stationed by the Five Elders Association, members of the Lingyuan Sect, and countless mortals—was wiped out completely the moment the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable opened his eyes!
Just as the Xuanhuang Realm could not bear the direct gaze of a True Immortal, the living beings of Jiushan Province could not withstand the might of Chuanfa!
In a single instant, countless cultivators perished.
Normally, countless demise phenomena should have manifested across the sky. Yet perhaps because Chuanfa's figure had not yet dispersed, those demise phenomena failed to coalesce beneath that suffocating pressure.
This scene made it seem as though even the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm showed restraint before the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable, not daring to brazenly mock or celebrate the demise of cultivators.
...
The footage provided by the Five Elders Association came to an abrupt halt.
Although it was indeed somewhat shocking, to Li Fan, who had already witnessed a True Immortal's world-ending catastrophe, it was merely so-so.
After contemplating it carefully, Li Fan immediately noticed something amiss.
"Was that Chuanfa? Or the Thirty-Three Immortal Chosen?"
In his 115th life, the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable had once revealed his true form. The entire Xuanhuang Realm had trembled beneath his might, as if doomsday was imminent and the world could be torn completely apart by his power at any moment.
In comparison, the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable who appeared in Jiushan Province this time was far weaker.
"What was that? A projection? An avatar?"
A faint glimmer flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
In his perception, Wei Qizheng, one of the Immortal Chosen, was still alive and well. And the Five Elders Association cultivator had also mentioned earlier that he—or rather, the phantom of Chuanfa—might appear on a more regular basis in the future.
This proved it was not a one-time expendable measure, but a method that could be reproduced continuously.
"Although its strength falls far short of Chuanfa himself, it is definitely a combat power at the Longevity realm.
"More critically, it's still unclear how the projection of Chuanfa appeared in the skies over Jiushan Province. From start to finish, none of the Immortal Chosen ever showed up. If they can summon the projection of Chuanfa anywhere, completely ignoring spatial limitations...
"then the deterrence is simply too terrifying. Before finding a countermeasure, the Five Elders Association won't dare make any reckless moves."
Li Fan's eyes flickered as he looked around the Jiushan Province region where he stood.
Countless lives had perished here not long ago, yet peculiarly, not even the faintest smell of blood could be detected. After all, under the pressure of Chuanfa, even blood had been obliterated into nothingness.
"As expected of a technique bearing Chuanfa's form. Rather than slaughter, it is outright destruction," Li Fan sighed inwardly.
Having clarified what happened in Jiushan Province, Li Fan lingered no longer. He swiftly returned using the power of the earth veins.
"If I'm not mistaken, if the Five Elders Association wants to strike back next, they will very likely deploy the Puxian True Boat to stage a surprise raid from within the white mist.
"As long as fighting breaks out in the heartlands of the Alliance, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals will surely have grave misgivings before unleashing that projection of Chuanfa again.
"However, an unconventional maneuver like this is most effective the first time. The Five Elders Association will probably want to save it for a decisive moment to settle the war in one blow...
"Interesting. Let's see what the Five Elders Association chooses to do."
The deterrent power of Chuanfa's projection was indeed extraordinary. Even though it had been used only once in Jiushan Province, it frightened the Five Elders Association members in other fallen border regions into pulling back their forces.
With almost no effort, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals recaptured all the border provinces lost previously in one sweep.
Frequent victory reports poured in, leaving the cultivators—long accustomed to the Alliance eating humble pie—in utter disbelief. So much so that for a time, conspiracy theories began circulating everywhere.
Congyun Sea, Haixuan Island.
"The Alliance reclaimed that lost territory far too quickly. Don't you think there's something fishy going on?"
"Heh heh, I actually heard a rumor. Word is that these provinces weren't conquered by our Alliance at all. The Five Elders Association deliberately handed them back to us!"
"After working so hard to take them, why would the Five Elders Association just give them up willingly?"
"That's where you're uninformed! They gave them back, sure, but what they returned was nothing but ruins! Anything of even the slightest value was looted clean by the Five Elders Association. According to a friend of mine, the current state of those frontline provinces is horrifying to look at!"
"*Hiss!* I get it! This is an open scheme by the Five Elders Association! Reclaimed territory has to be rebuilt, right? Once we've slaved away rebuilding it, the Five Elders Association will attack again! And then they'll strip everything bare once more..."
"I was wondering why we suddenly grew a backbone! So that's what's going on!"
...
Conspiracy theories were always popular among the masses. Unable to accept that the chronically 'feeble' Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals had achieved such glorious victories in such a short span, some cultivators began imagining all sorts of conspiracies behind it.
Just as they were chatting away with great relish, they had no idea their conversation had infuriated two people.
*Bang!*
Amid the thunderous crash of a hand slamming down on a table, a figure stood up abruptly.
"I originally thought this Congyun Sea Mutual Aid Association, famous far and wide, was surely an extraordinary organization! I never expected it to be so contemptible on the inside!"
The man glared around at the assembled cultivators and said coldly, "The fighting on the front lines hasn't even died down, and countless fellow daoists have laid down their lives on the battlefield! It's bad enough that you lot aren't lifting a finger, but to wag your tongues behind their backs like this!
"I, Kou Hong, am ashamed to share company with the likes of you!
"*Ptui!*"
Kou Hong glared furiously, his voice booming like thunder.
Beside him, another white-robed cultivator—tall and slender, with sword-sharp brows and starry eyes—stood up and laughed loudly. "Well said, brother! I, Dao Xuanzi, look down on these beasts just as much!"
Their words instantly offended that little clique to the extreme. They glared coldly at Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi, killing intent flashing in their eyes. Had this not been Ji Shaoli's territory, they likely would have taken the lives of these two loose-tongued cultivators on the spot.
"This damned Mutual Aid Association isn't worth staying in anyway!" Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi said indignantly, turning to leave.
"Wait, you two!"
Suddenly, someone stopped them.
The crowd looked closely and hastily bowed in greeting. It was none other than the master of Haixuan Island and leader of the Congyun Sea Mutual Aid Association—Ji Shaoli in person!
"Fellow Daoist Ji, as the saying goes, those walking different paths cannot make plans together. Let us part ways here today!" Kou Hong turned his head away, ignoring Ji Shaoli. Dao Xuanzi, retaining a shred of politeness, cupped his hands and spoke.
The avatar Ji Shaoli said nothing. He simply gazed at the two familiar faces before him, a faint smile surfacing at the corners of his mouth.
Inwardly, he could not help but marvel, *Fate works in truly wondrous ways!*
Looking at how the two—who in the original trajectory of history remained at Foundation Establishment even decades later—had actually reached the early Golden Core stage now, he swiftly came to a decision.
Chapter 876