Two Beauties Fall into the Palm

"Feng'er, be careful!" Xuan Suchang flashed in front of Shuo Feng, her expression grave. Lu Xichan immediately tried to contact the outside world, only to discover that communication was completely blocked. "Base scoundrels, before the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable, why do you not kneel!" Four voices boomed like thunder in their ears. In the dim sky, a dharma manifestation of the Heavenly Venerable seemed to truly appear, looking down with an awe-inspiring gaze. *Boom!* A tremendous invisible pressure suddenly descended, reducing the bamboo pavilion to fine powder in an instant. Amid rumbling roars, the entire ground sank several feet. Trapped beneath this immense pressure, Xuan Suchang and the others were momentarily unable to move! Before they could even struggle, five blood moons suddenly manifested in the sky veiled by shadows. "Silk Pulling!" A frigid voice devoid of all emotion rang out from the heavens. Myriad threads descended from the blood moons. Like countless tentacles, they darted forth silently and swiftly, coiling around the three. Though the threads seemed incorporeal, the moment they touched their bodies, a wave of weakness surged from the depths of their hearts. "Xichan!" Suits of battle armor suddenly manifested around Xuan Suchang and Shuo Feng, yet neither could ward off these intangible threads. Lu Xichan's situation was even worse. Around her, silver symbols representing arrays continually surfaced, only to disperse and vanish in the blink of an eye. Cold sweat beaded on Lu Xichan's forehead. The shock in her eyes soon morphed into thinly veiled terror. Amid the chaos of battle, others unversed in array methods might not understand what was happening to her, but Lu Xichan knew all too well: each time she attempted to deploy an array, a bizarre power would sweep in from the surroundings and shatter it instantly! Before the arrays could even take shape, they were ruthlessly broken! It was as though the enemy already knew what array she intended to cast; the speed of the unraveling was utterly incomprehensible! At first, Lu Xichan thought a traitor within the Formation Planning Hall had leaked every array technique in her repertoire. But soon, even as she brought out her trump-card arrays, they met the exact same fate: abruptly broken! Terror began to spread uncontrollably through her heart. She felt as though she had returned to the day she first met her master. The supreme mastery over arrays that her master had displayed left her awestruck, entranced, and obsessed; the talent she had once taken pride in was completely negligible before him. And right now, the entity unraveling her arrays possessed an attainment far beyond even her master's! It was a realm she could not begin to imagine! *Just who is it?* Her pride as the Chief of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals' Formation Planning Hall shattered, Lu Xichan felt as if countless faces of her master were appearing in the surrounding shadows. "Xichan, you have disappointed your master so greatly!" "From now on, never tell anyone you are my disciple; your master cannot afford such humiliation!" "Lu Xichan, I will die with my eyes wide open in regret!" ... "No, Master, it isn't like that..." Caught in the illusion, Lu Xichan trembled violently, losing all will to resist in an instant. The thick shadows swirled in and enveloped her entirely, after which she vanished into the bamboo sea. Seeing this, Xuan Suchang blanched in horror. Yet facing the Heavenly Venerable's dharma manifestation overhead and the relentless siege of countless threads, she was already stretched to her absolute limit. "Brother Xingwang, I have temporarily sealed Lu Xichan. However, just now..." Mo Rubin's somewhat puzzled voice drifted over. "Heh heh, I merely exploited a flaw in her mental defenses. Who would have guessed that the world-renowned Chief of the Formation Planning Hall was actually a coward terrified of her master..." Li Fan replied with an eerie chuckle. "I see." With the battle still underway, Mo Rubin did not dwell on the matter. "My remaining strength is dissipating rapidly. I fear it won't be enough to seal Xuan Suchang and Shuo Feng as well..." "No matter. Their doom is already sealed." Even as the two conversed briefly, the lethal offensive did not halt for a moment. With Tianyang and the other two presiding over the array, Xuan Suchang was like duckweed caught in a gale, hanging by a thread despite the protection of her battle armor. A crimson radiance shielded her mind, yet it groaned under the relentless pressure of the gaze cast down by the Heavenly Venerable's dharma manifestation above. She had reached the limit of what she could endure. By now, Xuan Suchang could tell that the phantom overhead was not the true manifestation of the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable at all. It was merely an optimal embodiment conjured to cow her mind at the very outset. After all, helping the Heavenly Profound Mirror separate out a human avatar directly violated the system established by the Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable. To say she felt no fear in her heart would be a lie. Even if it was not the authentic manifestation itself, the pressure it exerted on Xuan Suchang was not diminished in the slightest. Furthermore, the strange laughter constantly echoing from the surrounding shadows plagued her with endless hallucinations, making defense impossible. And the gray threads entwining her since the fight began only multiplied, causing her thoughts and movements to grow sluggish. *Just who are they?* Before losing consciousness, countless bewildered thoughts flashed through Xuan Suchang's mind. With two Dao Integration cultivators subdued, the remainder of the battle held no suspense. Shuo Feng's avatar, possessing merely Soul Formation strength, had been unable to intervene in the first place. Under the combined mental pressure of four Dao Integration cultivators and the array, he had fainted long ago. After sweeping all the remaining cultivators of the bamboo sea cave abode into his grotto-heaven for containment, Li Fan looked at the two slumbering female Dao Integration cultivators before him. Both possessed realm-toppling beauty. Lu Xichan carried an air of noble elegance, while Xuan Suchang appeared like a young maiden, seemingly retaining a trace of youthful innocence. "Brother Xingwang, my power is about to disperse. I'll leave this place to you." The boundless shadows cloaking the bamboo sea gathered back together, resolving into a blurry figure. Looking at Li Fan, he said slowly, "If there is news of the Profound Heaven Treasure Mirror's clone, contact me as soon as possible. The body I possessed has been completely destroyed; when we next meet, remember to bring another one. We will meet at the hidden grotto-heaven from last time." His voice faded away alongside the shadows. *This battle went so smoothly; Mo Rubin's sky-blotting shadows played a monumental role.* *Even without being on opposing sides, I faintly felt the pressure. In a daze, I even seemed to see the likenesses of the Heavenly Physician and the immortal of the Immortal Ruins in the darkness...* *The Profound Heaven Sect... truly is extraordinary.* The thought flashed past, and Li Fan refocused his attention on Xuan Suchang and Lu Xichan. "Emissary, do we withdraw now?" Daoist Baihua inquired cautiously. Li Fan pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "The three of you go guard the entrance of this bamboo sea. I will interrogate them on the spot for news of the Heavenly Profound Mirror's clone." The three accepted the order and departed. Li Fan then took out two Truth Enticement Fruits. *Only these two left. Looks like it's time to ask the Five Elders Association for a few more.* Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, slowly weaving intricate lies. Once the Truth Enticement Fruits radiated bursts of brilliant light, Li Fan fed them to the two women.