Originally, seeing "Sun Xingwang" return to normal, Mo Rubin could not help showing a hint of joy on his face.
Yet to his immense dismay, Li Fan stopped mid-sentence.
The man's expression suddenly turned profoundly vacant, his eyes completely hollow.
Only after a long while did a flicker of light return to his eyes, and he subconsciously looked left and right.
"You are..." Li Fan stared at Mo Rubin before him, asking with a trace of confusion.
This stark contrast made Mo Rubin take a deep breath.
Though he knew the cultivation method Sun Xingwang practiced was bizarre in the extreme—the most anomalous among the Twelve Dharma Kings—for it to be peculiar to such a degree still sent a slight shiver through him.
*Yet what Brother Xingwang thought coincides with my own thoughts.*
*Mhm... As expected, that day he deliberately lured Dharma Transmitter Feng to the place where I lay dormant. All so that I could infiltrate the interior of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals.*
Just as Mo Rubin was lost in thought, Li Fan also appeared to recognize him.
"Ah, it's Brother Bin."
"Why are we here?"
Li Fan glanced around.
Mo Rubin sighed softly, lamenting inwardly, *Not bad, at least he still remembers me. Saves me having to waste my breath further.*
He then gave Li Fan a brief explanation of how he had replaced Dharma Transmitter Feng, entered the upper echelons of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, and was plotting to seize the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror.
"The Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror is an immortal artifact forged from the sole painstaking effort of the King of Profound Heaven back then. Though it has been used by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals all these years, according to my observations, the Alliance has never obtained complete control over it. Instead, they reached some sort of cooperative relationship."
"As long as we can regain control of the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror, it is very likely we can locate the King of Profound Heaven through it."
Taking advantage of Li Fan's current lucid state, Mo Rubin spoke concisely.
"In my state, knowing all this is useless. What do you need me to do?" Li Fan cooperated fully, asking with apparent self-awareness.
Mo Rubin felt quite gratified and whispered, "In today's Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, the lineage of Dharma Transmitters and the lineage of Mirror Keepers hold divided power, keeping each other in check. In addition, there is the lineage of Illusion-Reality Sages, concealed in the shadows as a counterweight."
Li Fan frowned slightly. "The upper echelons of the Alliance are actually this complex? And what are these Mirror Keepers and Illusion-Reality Sages..."
"I've never heard of them before."
Mo Rubin nodded slightly. "I only learned of this after possessing the body of Dharma Transmitter Feng. The powerholders of these three lineages rarely show their faces, so it is only natural that the outside world knows nothing of their true situation."
"The so-called Dharma Transmitters are the surviving cultivators who once followed behind the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable to promulgate the new method."
"As for the Mirror Keepers, as the name suggests, they govern the power of the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror. Over the years, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals has never abandoned its intention to fully possess the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror. Relying on methods left behind by the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable back then, they have gradually eroded and expanded their control over the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror step by step."
"As for the most mysterious third lineage, the Illusion-Reality Sages..."
"I have had very little contact with them during this period. However, it seems to have some connection to the creation known as 'Era' and Di Sanmo of the beast race. With the aid of supreme deduction powers and a kind of energy that mimics reality to the extreme, they can turn illusion into reality, conjuring out of thin air countless formidable cultivators to fight..."
Mo Rubin shared his current intelligence with Li Fan.
After listening, Li Fan waved his hand impatiently. "What is the plan?"
"It seems that even as a Dharma Transmitter, seeking the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror is no easy task."
Mo Rubin nodded without denying it. "However, my plan has already yielded preliminary results."
"The Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror possesses a spirit intelligence of its own. Since taking control of it is difficult, we will force it to cooperate with us of its own accord."
"Brother Xingwang, you previously sent the Profound Heaven Spirit-Sealing Formation diagram into the interior of the Alliance by some means. With my covert instigation, the lineage of Dharma Transmitters is already stirring with ambition."
"They seek to use the power of the Profound Heaven Spirit-Sealing to completely master the Heavenly Profound Mirror, thereby crushing the lineage of Mirror Keepers entirely..."
"Yet you and I both know that the Profound Heaven Spirit-Sealing merely forces the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror to carry out certain commands. To truly take complete control of the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror..."
"Hmph, I presume no one else in this world could achieve that except the King of Profound Heaven!"
"Naturally, the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror will not be willing to be manipulated like this. When the bindings deepen step by step, we can try to make contact with it. In turn, we can offer to cooperate, helping it resolve its crisis in exchange for helping us locate the King of Profound Heaven."
"Of course, if it is unwilling..."
Mo Rubin's eyes flickered. "Then we might as well let the Profound Heaven Spirit-Sealing go a step further."
Li Fan interrupted Mo Rubin. "The Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror's attitude remains unclear. I fear it may not be overly enthusiastic about finding the King of Profound Heaven, and might even try to sabotage us..."
Mo Rubin chuckled. "Brother Xingwang, you have forgotten: the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror was refined by the King of Profound Heaven, and it has already been imbued with the Dao of Profound Heaven. It cannot speak falsehoods, and it must honor every word it utters."
Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is that so..."
His expression turned vague, showing signs of losing his memories once again.
Seeing this, Mo Rubin hastily changed the subject. "So what Brother Xingwang needs to do now is work with me from the inside and outside, gradually bolstering my prestige."
"Only by winning the trust of most Dharma Transmitters can I continue pushing forward the Profound Heaven Spirit-Sealing."
"As for your God Descends upon the Body, try to expand it at maximum speed within half a month. Once panic has been stirred up, I will step in. When the time comes, coordinate with me to stage a performance. We will destroy the vast majority of the descended bodies, leaving only a portion in reserve."
Mo Rubin instructed.
Li Fan nodded repeatedly and agreed at once.
"By the way, your condition..." A look of worry surfaced in Mo Rubin's eyes.
"No matter. When it comes to truly important matters, I have my own way of recording them."
Saying so, the Faceless True Immortal stone statue reappeared in the sky.
Li Fan gazed at the statue, then closed his eyes in contemplation.
A faint golden light emerged once more, enveloping the stone statue from head to toe.
Then Li Fan opened his eyes and dispersed the statue.
"This is all that can be done,"
Li Fan said calmly.
Mo Rubin looked thoughtful, yet did not pursue the topic further.
"Our plan is virtually foolproof. The only thing we need to worry about..."
Mo Rubin paused, then said, "is that Dharma Transmitter Jiang."
A rare look of gravity appeared on his face.
"If anyone in today's Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals could truly shoulder the great burden of reviving the Alliance, it would be none other than this person."
"Dharma Transmitter Jiang..."
"He truly possesses some of the King of Profound Heaven's demeanor from back then."
Mo Rubin gave him extraordinarily high praise.
*Dharma Transmitter Jiang...* Li Fan's heart stirred, yet he did not press further.
Instead, he feigned complete indifference.
"With you in charge, I have no worries. I only need to cooperate with you in secret."
Mo Rubin nodded. "As it should be."
Chapter 965