From the clues gathered so far, golden vow power—or Myriad Spirits Nectar—was the residue left behind by the Faceless True Immortal in his quest for traces of the Great Dao.
As the saying went: *Born with desire, walking the Dao, ceasing only at death.*
The golden vow power that Li Fan's calamity body had previously absorbed had been pure energy, devoid of the conviction born of that "desire to pursue the Dao."
Yet from the golden vow power generated by Dao Xuanzi's feedback at this moment, Li Fan actually sensed a faint, exquisite longing for the Dao.
Even though the vast majority had been filtered and intercepted by the stone statue, the trace that remained was as conspicuous among all that golden vow power as the bright moon in an open sky. So pronounced was it that Li Fan caught it the instant it formed.
*Utmost sincerity in seeking the Dao yields immortality upon attaining it. Truly worthy of a man who fought his own brother to the death and pursued him all the way into the land severed from immortality just to advance his cultivation method.*
*He appears so carefree on the surface, yet his heart for pursuing the Dao is so astonishingly steadfast.*
The desire to chase the Dao embedded within the golden vow power lingered for only a breath before vanishing in an instant.
Li Fan felt as though he had lost an invaluable treasure, an immediate hollow emptiness washing over his heart.
Soon, however, as the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Incantation circulated on its own, this unbidden sense of loss was swiftly crushed to dust.
*Having obtained the Vast Sea Pearl, Dao Xuanzi's prospects in this life are bright. And Kou Hong, even after learning of another wonder of Earth, the Hundred Thousand Mountains Cauldron, did not rush off in haste. Instead, he patiently stayed by Dao Xuanzi's side until his brother successfully rebuilt his Dao foundation. There is genuine affection between the two after all.*
*Perhaps I can look out for them a bit more in the future...*
With this small interlude over, Li Fan turned his attention back to the Bamboo Sea of Tianquan Province before him.
Silently, cloaked under the concealment provided by Li Fan and Mo Rubin, Lin Ling and the other two had already slipped into the bamboo groves and laid the ambush array.
All that remained was waiting for Xuan Suchang to take the bait.
With a formidable enemy drawing near, only Lin Ling looked slightly nervous among the group. Tianyang was naturally dull and wooden, while Daoist Baihua was, after all, a Longevity cultivator who had survived the ancient cataclysm, thoroughly experienced and worldly. As for Li Fan and Mo Rubin, they already regarded Immortal Venerable Feixue as prey in their grasp.
Time flowed slowly, and before long...
Two streaks of rainbow light pierced the sky one after the other, descending outside the Bamboo Sea.
The Bamboo Sea's defensive ward parted, and eighteen female cultivators clad in long crimson dresses filed out in two rows to welcome them.
Yet the two figures did not spare them a single glance, stepping straight into the cave abode nestled within the bamboo.
"Hm? Lu Xichan? Why did she come along as well?" Mo Rubin was somewhat surprised, though not alarmed.
Even so, he glanced at Li Fan to gauge his reaction. "Are you confident?"
As he spoke, he had already transmitted Lu Xichan's general profile.
Lu Xichan had studied under Lu Xia, the previous Chief Array Master of the Formation Planning Hall.
Her life's accomplishments appeared unremarkable on the surface, a smooth sailing journey from start to finish, ultimately inheriting her master's mantle.
However, to manage a succession of authority that remained utterly tranquil from beginning to end without stirring the slightest ripple was itself sufficient proof of Lu Xichan's extraordinary caliber.
Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly and gave a gentle nod. "Nothing to fear. Capturing one Dao Integration cultivator is capturing; capturing two is no different.
"Still, Lu Xichan is the Chief Array Master of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, after all. There is a risk that this entrapment array I deduced using the Lifeless Array Coronet you gave me might be unraveled. If reinforcements arrive by then, things could turn troublesome.
"Let us hope this Lifeless Array Coronet proves dependable."
Li Fan abruptly shifted the subject.
This was naturally just a pretext to mislead Mo Rubin. In terms of complexity alone, the ambush array deployed in the Bamboo Sea surpassed both the Heavenly Profound Spirit Lock and the Xuan Heaven Spirit Seal, leading them by at least an entire generation.
Though Lu Xichan's attainments in array dao ranked among the very pinnacle of the Formation Planning Hall, there was no possibility whatsoever of her breaking the array in a short time.
This was evident from the fact that she had already entered without sensing the lethal perils lurking within, acting entirely as if nothing were amiss.
Li Fan had spoken those words merely to conceal the true origins of the ambush array.
Suspecting nothing, Mo Rubin pondered for a moment before replying, "Even breaking an array requires time. We shall make quick work of it and capture her before she can locate any flaws in the formation."
As he said this, a mirror-like surface resembling a grey line seemed to materialize out of thin air before the cultivator Mo Rubin possessed.
A dim light flickered, and in mere moments, another identical cultivator emerged.
Then mirror surfaces appeared continuously—two splitting into four, four into eight—before finally coming to a halt.
From beginning to end, not the slightest fluctuation of aura leaked out.
Lin Ling and the other two stared wide-eyed in stunned disbelief.
Sensing the eight figures before him, Li Fan found every single one to be a living, breathing cultivator, completely indistinguishable from the original.
"When the battle begins, I will channel as much aid as possible through these bodies.
"However, it cannot be sustained for long..."
Mo Rubin transmitted his voice.
After entering the Bamboo Sea, Xuan Suchang and Lu Xichan settled into one of the bamboo pavilions to rest. To avoid alerting them, Li Fan and his companions refrained from prying, merely confirming the pair remained inside while waiting for Shuo Feng's arrival.
And Shuo Feng was considerate enough not to keep everyone waiting long.
As crimson snow drifted gently down through the bamboo groves, Shuo Feng's figure gradually coalesced from a hazy blur into clarity.
Glancing toward the nearby bamboo pavilion, his face was filled with resentment.
In the end, he did not dare let it show before his mother. Taking a deep breath, he allowed his expression to settle back into utter calm, as placid as still water.
He walked slowly to the front of the bamboo pavilion.
"Honored Mother..." Shuo Feng spoke softly.
"Hehehe, Feng'er is home. Come in quickly, your Aunt Lu is here as well," Xuan Suchang's smiling voice drifted out from the pavilion.
She did not sound like a mother at all; rather, her voice resembled that of a young girl of fifteen or sixteen.
Shuo Feng pushed open the pavilion doors and stepped inside.
The gazes of both Xuan Suchang and Lu Xichan instantly converged upon him.
Right at that moment...
A sharp shout erupted like thunder, reverberating across the Bamboo Sea.
"Brother Shuo, rest easy! Your little brother here will surely persuade your esteemed mother and return your freedom!"
The moment Li Fan shouted these words, not only did Shuo Feng, Xuan Suchang, and Lu Xichan freeze in astonishment.
Even Mo Rubin, Lin Ling, and the others were left scratching their heads in utter bewilderment.
"Strike!" Fortunately, Li Fan's mental transmission arrived immediately.
Lin Ling and the other two swiftly took their positions, and the great array deployed by four Dao Integration figures was completed in an instant.
Mo Rubin held nothing back either; the eight identical bodies detonated with a boom.
From each shattered frame, a blurred black figure shot forth.
The shadows then expanded, swallowing the entire Bamboo Sea within an instant.
"Hehe, my Feng'er has grown quite ambitious now..." At first, after her brief momentary startle, Xuan Suchang still wore a faint smile.
She assumed Shuo Feng had merely rallied a pack of scoundrel companions in an attempt to rebel.
After all, he had pulled such stunts before.
Yet as the grand array unfolded and the shadows eclipsed the heavens and earth, Xuan Suchang's expression shifted drastically. She realized that the terrifying might of this ambush was something far beyond Shuo Feng's ability to orchestrate.
Chapter 994