“ bù guò zhè huò xǔ yě bìng bù máo dùn 。 liǎng gè bàn xiān zhī qū ， zài gēn duì fāng de jiāo shǒu zhōng 、 dōu huò qǔ le tū pò de líng gǎn ……”
“不过这或许也并不矛盾。两个半仙之躯，在跟对方的交手中、都获取了突破的灵感……”
However, this might not be contradictory. With both half-immortals engaging in combat with each other, they both gained inspiration for breakthroughs...
“ dōu yǒu xī wàng zhēn zhèng tùn qù fán rén zhì gù ， chéng jiù xiān rén zhī wèi 。”
“都有希望真正褪去凡人桎梏，成就仙人之位。”
Both have the hope of truly shedding their mortal shackles and achieving the position of an immortal.
“ tiān dōu dà fǎ shī shì xiào fǎng xiān xū xiān rén ， gòng míng wù dào 。”
“天都大法师是效仿仙墟仙人，共鸣悟道。”
The Heavenly Capital Great Mage emulated the way of immortals from Immortal Vastness, resonating with enlightenment.
“ zhì yú xuán tiān wáng ……”
“至于玄天王……”
As for the Immortal King Xuan Tian...
lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng yòu huí xiǎng qǐ lái zì xuán tiān jiào fǎ wáng de pò suì huí yì 。
李凡脑海中又回想起来自玄天教法王的破碎回忆。
Li Fan recalled the fragmented memories from the Vastness Teaching King of the Xuan Tian Sect in his mind.
“ zé shì zài tū pò guò chéng zhōng zāo yù le bù cè 。”
“则是在突破过程中遭遇了不测。”
"During the breakthrough process, an unforeseen disaster occurred."
duì yú dāng nián xiān dào shí zōng shùn jiān tuī fān xuán tiān jiào de shǐ mò ， lǐ fán yě céng xún wèn guò dān xuán 。
对于当年仙道十宗瞬间推翻玄天教的始末，李凡也曾询问过丹玄。
Regarding the origins of the sudden collapse of the Xuan Tian Sect by the Ten Great Daoist Schools back then, Li Fan had also asked Dan Xuan about it.
bù guò zhè lǎo jiā huǒ ， yǔ yān bù xiáng 。
不过这老家伙，语焉不详。
But this old fellow was vague.
shuō zì jǐ yě bù qīng chǔ ， zhǐ shì xī lǐ hú tú jiù yíng dé le zhàn zhēng zuì hòu de shèng lì 。
说自己也不清楚，只是稀里糊涂就赢得了战争最后的胜利。
He said he didn't know much and just somehow won the final victory in a hazy manner.
jiù xiàng shì xuán tiān jiào yě shū de mò míng qí miào yī yàng 。
就像是玄天教也输的莫名其妙一样。
Just like how the Xuan Tian Sect seemed to have lost for no reason.
“ dān xuán yīng gāi yǒu suǒ yǐn mán 。 bù guò kě yǐ kěn dìng de shì ， dāng nián xuán tiān jiào de fù miè ， yǒu chú le xuán tiān jiào 、 xiān dào shí zōng zhī wài de dì sān gǔ shì lì ， cān yù qí zhōng 。”
“丹玄应该有所隐瞒。不过可以肯定的是，当年玄天教的覆灭，有除了玄天教、仙道十宗之外的第三股势力，参与其中。”
"Dan Xuan must be hiding something. But we can be certain that, apart from the Xuan Tian Sect and the Ten Great Daoist Schools, there was a third force involved in the downfall of the Xuan Tian Sect."
“ gǔ huò xiān dào shí zōng fǎn pàn ， jiè zhù xuán tiān wáng xiǎng yào chèn jī qīng chú nèi guǐ de xiǎng fǎ 、 shùn shuǐ tuī zhōu 。 cù chéng le zhè yī cháng dà zhàn 。”
“蛊惑仙道十宗反叛，借助玄天王想要趁机清除内鬼的想法、顺水推舟。促成了这一场大战。”
"This force incited the Ten Great Daoist Schools to rebel, using Immortal King Xuan Tian's desire to clear out traitors as an opportunity. They facilitated this great war."
“ zuì zhōng de yíng jiā ， kàn shàng qù sì hū shì qǔ dé xuán huáng jiè xiān dào tǒng zhì quán de xiān dào shí zōng 。 dàn huò xǔ xuán tiān wáng ， cái shì tā men de zhēn zhèng mù biāo 。”
“最终的赢家，看上去似乎是取得玄黄界仙道统治权的仙道十宗。但或许玄天王，才是他们的真正目标。”
"The apparent victor seems to be the Ten Great Daoist Schools that gained control over the Xuanhuang Realm. But perhaps Immortal King Xuan Tian was their true target."
lǐ fán sī xù cuán dòng 。
李凡思绪攒动。
Li Fan's thoughts churned.
lián xiǎng dào mò rú bīn duì wú miàn zhēn xiān shí xiàng de jì dàn ， yī dà dǎn de cāi cè shùn jiān yǒng shàng lǐ fán de xīn tóu 。
联想到墨儒斌对无面真仙石像的忌惮，一大胆的猜测瞬间涌上李凡的心头。
Recalling Mo Ru Bin's fear of the Faceless True Immortal statue, a bold guess instantly surfaced in Li Fan's mind.
“ yǒu méi yǒu kě néng ， shì wú miàn zhēn xiān de kuáng rè xìn tú suǒ wèi ？”
“有没有可能，是无面真仙的狂热信徒所为？”
"Is it possible that this was done by fervent followers of the Faceless True Immortal?"
“ jí jiāng chéng xiān de xuán tiān wáng ， jiù shì tā men xiàn gěi wú miàn zhēn xiān de jì pǐn ……”
“即将成仙的玄天王，就是他们献给无面真仙的祭品……”
"The almost-Immortal King Xuan Tian is their sacrificial offering..."
zài jiè zhù wú miàn zhēn xiān xiàng chuán bō 【 hóng chén cí bēi xiān 】 de zhè xiē nián lǐ ， lǐ fán kě yǐ shuō shì qīn yǎn kàn dào le nà xiē xiū shì de xìn yǎng ， cóng wú dào yǒu 、 màn màn de jiān dìng qǐ lái 。
在借助无面真仙像传播【红尘慈悲仙】的这些年里，李凡可以说是亲眼看到了那些修士的信仰，从无到有、慢慢的坚定起来。
Over these years of spreading the "Red Dust Benevolent Immortal," Li Fan had witnessed firsthand how those cultivators' faith grew from nothing to something firm.
yuán lì jīng cuì ， néng gòu huà fǔ xiǔ wéi shén qí ， shí xiàn xǔ duō xiū shì mèng xiǎng zhī shì 。
源力精粹，能够化腐朽为神奇，实现许多修士梦想之事。
Source energy essence could transform the mundane into the miraculous, fulfilling many cultivator's dreams.
jí biàn zài lǐ fán suí yì chuàng jiàn 、 méi zěn me fèi xīn jīng yíng de wàn jiè lián hé huì lǐ ， yě bù fá zhēn zhèng bèi zhēn xiān lì liàng suǒ gǔ huò 、 xiàn shàng le zì jǐ jué duì zhōng chéng de cún zài 。
即便在李凡随意创建、没怎么费心经营的万界联合会里，也不乏真正被真仙力量所蛊惑、献上了自己绝对忠诚的存在。
Even in his loosely managed World Federation, there were true followers of True Immortals who pledged their absolute loyalty.
gèng bié tí ， zài shàng gǔ xuán tiān jiào biàn dì dōu shì wú miàn zhēn xiān xiàng zhī shí le 。
更别提，在上古玄天教遍地都是无面真仙像之时了。
Not to mention during the time when Faceless True Immortal statues were ubiquitous throughout ancient Xuan Tian Sect.
jí biàn xuán tiān wáng hòu lái kě néng fā xiàn le bú duì ， jiāng shí xiàng cóng xuán tiān jiào zǒng tán zhōng qīng chú 。 dàn xiū shì xīn zhōng de shí xiàng ， yòu rú hé néng qīng lǐ gān jìng ne ？
即便玄天王后来可能发现了不对，将石像从玄天教总坛中清除。但修士心中的石像，又如何能清理干净呢？
Even if Xuan Tian King later discovered something amiss and cleared out the statue from the main temple, how could one completely cleanse the images in cultivators' hearts?
gēn zài yī míng chéng dào wú fǎ què dìng de bàn xiān shēn hòu ， hái shì gēn suí yī míng zhēn zhèng de xiān rén 、 shèn zhì hái yǒu kě néng shì 【 wú míng zhēn xiān 】 zhè ge děng jí de cún zài ……
跟在一名成道无法确定的半仙身后，还是跟随一名真正的仙人、甚至还有可能是【无名真仙】这个等级的存在……
Following a half-immortal whose enlightenment was uncertain versus following a true immortal, even possibly a "Nameless True Immortal"...
duì yú jué dà bù fèn xiū shì ér yán ， kǒng pà dū huì xuǎn zé hòu zhě 。
对于绝大部分修士而言，恐怕都会选择后者。
For most cultivators, they would likely choose the latter.
“ suǒ yǐ zài mò rú bīn kàn dào wǒ zhǎn shì de shí xiàng zhī hòu ， tā jiù duì wǒ shī qù le xìn rèn le 。”
“所以在墨儒斌看到我展示的石像之后，他就对我失去了信任了。”
"So Mo Ru Bin lost trust in me after seeing my statue," Li Fan continued his reasoning.
huán yuán chū le kě néng de zhēn xiàng ， lǐ fán yòu jì xù kāi shǐ tuī yǎn xuán tiān wáng de xià luò 。
还原出了可能的真相，李凡又继续开始推衍玄天王的下落。
Having reconstructed the possible truth, he began to deduce Xuan Tian King's whereabouts.
“ yǒu liǎng zhǒng kě néng 。 yí gè shì tā yǐ jīng bèi dàng zuò chéng shú de guǒ zi ， bèi wú miàn zhēn xiān gěi tūn le 。 zì cǐ chè dǐ xiāo shī zài le shì jiè shàng 。 ér wú miàn zhēn xiān de lì liàng yī jiù zài xuán huáng jiè zhōng bù sàn ， jiù shì yǐ qī jì xù yǒu xià yí gè guǒ shí chū xiàn 。”
“有两种可能。一个是他已经被当做成熟的果子，被无面真仙给吞了。自此彻底消失在了世界上。而无面真仙的力量依旧在玄黄界中不散，就是以期继续有下一个果实出现。”
"There are two possibilities. One is that he was devoured by the Faceless True Immortal and vanished from this world forever. The Faceless True Immortal's power remains in the Xuanhuang Realm, hoping for more fruits."
“ dì èr gè zé shì ， wú miàn zhēn xiān de tūn shì shī bài le 。 xuán tiān wáng jiǎo xìng táo dé yī jié 。 nà xiē kuáng rè de xìn tú men ， zé shì bèi bào nù de zhēn xiān qiān nù 、 shī gǔ wú cún ， wú rén zhī xiǎo de qíng kuàng xià chè dǐ xiāo shī 。”
“第二个则是，无面真仙的吞噬失败了。玄天王侥幸逃得一劫。那些狂热的信徒们，则是被暴怒的真仙迁怒、尸骨无存，无人知晓的情况下彻底消失。”
"The second possibility is that the Faceless True Immortal failed to devour him. Xuan Tian King managed to survive a near-death experience. The fervent followers were then punished by the enraged True Immortal and vanished without a trace."
“ dì èr zhǒng kě néng ， gèng dà yī diǎn 。 bì jìng xiàn zài de xuán huáng jiè ， chú le wǒ zhè yī zhī yǐ wài ， jiù zài yě zhǎo bú dào wú miàn zhēn xiān de dào tǒng le 。 rú guǒ dāng nián xiàn jì zhī shì ， zhēn de chéng gōng de huà 。 wú miàn zhēn xiān jiàng xià shǎng cì ， cháng dào tián tóu de tā men ， bù kě néng zì cǐ bà shǒu 。”
“第二种可能，更大一点。毕竟现在的玄黄界，除了我这一支以外，就再也找不到无面真仙的道统了。如果当年献祭之事，真的成功的话。无面真仙降下赏赐，尝到甜头的他们，不可能自此罢手。”
The latter scenario seems more likely. After all, apart from my lineage, there are no other traces of the Faceless True Immortal's Daoist tradition in the Xuanhuang Realm. If the sacrifice was successful back then, they wouldn't stop after tasting the sweet rewards.
lǐ fán yǎn zhōng ， guāng máng wēi wēi shǎn dòng 。
李凡眼中，光芒微微闪动。
Li Fan's eyes gleamed.
“ mò rú bīn zhī suǒ yǐ rú cǐ zhí zhuó de yào jiù chū tiān xuán jìng ， shèn zhì bù xī pèi hé wǒ yǎn xì 。 kǒng pà tā zǎo jiù què xìn ， xuán tiān wáng méi sǐ 。 ér qiě tiān xuán jìng yí dìng zhī dào tā de xià luò 。”
“墨儒斌之所以如此执着的要救出天玄镜，甚至不惜配合我演戏。恐怕他早就确信，玄天王没死。而且天玄镜一定知道他的下落。”
"Mo Ru Bin's insistence on rescuing the Heavenly Xuan Mirror, even going so far as to cooperate with me, suggests he is certain that Xuan Tian King didn't die and that the Heavenly Xuan Mirror knows his whereabouts."
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。”
“原来如此。”
"So it makes sense."
“ zì cóng nà tiān cóng wàn xiān méng zǒng bù xiāo shī zhī hòu ， tā men jiù méi yǒu zài xuán huáng jiè zhōng chū xiàn guò 。 dù è zōng zhǐ rén méi yǒu kàn dào guò ， fán shì yǒu tiān xuán jìng cún zài de dì fāng yě dōu méi yǒu xiàn shēn guò 。”
“自从那天从万仙盟总部消失之后，他们就没有在玄黄界中出现过。渡厄宗纸人没有看到过，凡是有天玄镜存在的地方也都没有现身过。”
Since disappearing from the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, they haven't appeared in the Xuanhuang Realm. The paper figures from the Overcoming Tribulations Sect have never been seen, nor has anyone with a Heavenly Xuan Mirror.
“ zhí jiē tuō lí le tiān xuán jìng běn tǐ kōng jiān ， chū xiàn zài le lìng wài de dì diǎn 。”
“直接脱离了天玄镜本体空间，出现在了另外的地点。”
They directly left the main space of the Heavenly Xuan Mirror and appeared elsewhere.
“ kàn lái ， dé xiǎng gè bàn fǎ gēn chuán fǎ zhě zhōu jiàn yí miàn le 。”
“看来，得想个办法跟传法者周见一面了。”
"It seems I need to find a way to meet Practitioner Zhou Jian."
lǐ fán xīn shén ， zài dù jí zhōng zài zì jǐ dǎ zào de nà méi bái yù diāo xiàng shàng 。
李凡心神，再度集中在自己打造的那枚白玉雕像上。
Li Fan focused on his crafted white jade statue again.
jì lù zhe diāo xiàng chuán lái de shēng yīn ， yǐ jí mó hú de yǐng xiǎng 。
记录着雕像传来的声音，以及模糊的影响。
Recording the voice transmitted by the statue and its vague influence, comparing it with records in the Heavenly Xuan Mirror's database, trying to find a breakthrough.
gēn tiān xuán jìng zhōng de xiū shì dàng àn jìn xíng duì bǐ 。
跟天玄镜中的修士档案进行对比。
The vast majority of identified cultivators were listed as deceased targets by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
shì tú zhǎo dào tū pò kǒu 。
试图找到突破口。
But after over ten days of continuous monitoring, Li Fan actually found one who wasn't under the alliance's wanted list and still maintained his status as an official cultivator.
biàn bié chū lái de jué dà duō shù xiū shì ， dōu shì shàng le wàn xiān méng zhuī bǔ míng dān 、 míng yì shàng de sǐ rén 。
辨别出来的绝大多数修士，都是上了万仙盟追捕名单、名义上的死人。
"What a bold move. He doesn’t seem to fear牵连家族..."
dàn jīng guò lǐ fán zhǎng dá shí duō tiān de bù jiàn duàn jiān tīng ， hái zhēn bèi tā zhǎo dào le yí gè méi yǒu bèi xiān méng suǒ tōng jī ， réng rán bǎo chí zhe zhèng cháng tǐ zhì nèi xiū shì shēn fèn de jiā huo 。
但经过李凡长达十多天的不间断监听，还真被他找到了一个没有被仙盟所通缉，仍然保持着正常体制内修士身份的家伙。
Li Fan thought to himself but upon reviewing this cultivator's life records, he discovered that Yu Chizong...
“ hǎo dà de dǎn zi ， yě bù pà qiān lián jiā zú ……”
“好大的胆子，也不怕牵连家族……”
Had likely done it intentionally.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， bù guò zài chá kàn le zhè wèi xiū shì de shēng píng dàng àn zhī hòu ， tā fā xiàn zhè míng jiào zuò yóu chì sōng de xiū shì ……
李凡心中如此想着，不过在查看了这位修士的生平档案之后，他发现这名叫做游赤松的修士……
Yu Chizong was an元婴 cultivator.
kě néng shì gù yì zhè me zuò de 。
可能是故意这么做的。
The eldest son of the You Family in the Heavenly辰州.
yóu chì sōng ， yuán yīng xiū shì 。
游赤松，元婴修士。
Ten years ago, he had a chance to ascend to the Shen Transformation Realm.
tiān chén zhōu yóu jiā dí zhǎng zǐ 。
天辰州游家嫡长子。
However, his father passed on the only "Heaven and Earth Birth Change" to Yu Chibai instead.
shí nián zhī qián ， běn yǒu jī huì jìn shēng huà shén zhī jìng 。
十年之前，本有机会晋升化神之境。
This shattered Yu Chizong's hopes for ascension.
bù guò tā de fù qīn ， què shì jiāng jiā zú zhōng tīng dào de nà ge wéi yī de 【 tiān dì jiāng shēng zhī biàn 】， jiāo gěi le yóu chì sōng de dì di ， yóu chì bǎi 。
不过他的父亲，却是将家族中听到的那个唯一的【天地将生之变】，交给了游赤松的弟弟，游赤柏。
His actions even gained support from most of the You Family.
jiāng tā de huà shén de xī wàng jī dé fěn suì 。
将他的化神的希望击得粉碎。
Only because Yu Chibai’s talent was far superior to Yu Chizong's.
zhè yī jǔ dòng ， shèn zhì dé dào le yóu jiā jué dà duō shù rén de zhī chí 。
这一举动，甚至得到了游家绝大多数人的支持。
Yu Chizong spent nearly a century cultivating his婴 in resource-rich conditions, while Yu Chibai only took thirty years.
zhǐ yīn wèi yóu chì bǎi de zī zhì ， yào bǐ yóu chì sōng yào hǎo shàng tài duō 。
只因为游赤柏的资质，要比游赤松要好上太多。
The gap was too large; even Yu Chizong's mother could only sigh and comfort him.
yóu chì sōng jié yīng ， zài zī yuán chōng zú de qíng kuàng xià ， yī gòng huā fèi le jìn bǎi nián 。
游赤松结婴，在资源充足的情况下，一共花费了近百年。
But Yu Chizong was不服!
ér yóu chì bǎi ， jǐn jǐn yòng le sān shí duō nián 。
而游赤柏，仅仅用了三十多年。
Because he had been the first to discover and report this "Heaven and Earth Birth Change" information.
chā jù shí zài tài dà le ， jiù lián yóu chì sōng de mǔ qīn dōu zhǐ néng wú nài tàn qì ān wèi 。
差距实在太大了，就连游赤松的母亲都只能无奈叹气安慰。
It should have been his, but it was snatched away and given to his brother!
dàn yóu chì sōng què bù fú ！
但游赤松却不服！
This resentment grew in Yu Chizong’s heart.
yīn wèi zhè yī tiān dì jiāng shēng zhī biàn de xìn xī ， hái shì tā zuì xiān fā jué ， ér hòu shàng bào jiā zú de 。
因为这一天地将生之变的信息，还是他最先发觉，而后上报家族的。
The bloody cleansing of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance provided him with an opportunity for revenge against his family.
běn yīng shì tā de náng zhōng zhī wù ， què yìng bèi qiǎng zǒu 、 sòng gěi le zì jǐ de dì di ！
本应是他的囊中之物，却硬被抢走、送给了自己的弟弟！
By chance, he met Practitioner Zhou Jianren.
yóu chì sōng xīn zhōng de yuàn hèn yóu cǐ shēng 。
游赤松心中的怨恨由此生。
Seeing these "rebels," a strategy to destroy both came to mind instantly. He immediately knelt and begged to join.
ér wàn xiān méng de xuè xīng qīng xǐ ， què shì gěi le tā yí gè kě yǐ bào fù jiā zú de jī huì 。
而万仙盟的血腥清洗，却是给了他一个可以报复家族的机会。
Practitioner Zhou Jianren was moved by Yu Chizong's sincerity and took him into her private little world.
jī yuán qiǎo hé zhī xià ， tā qià hǎo pèng jiàn chuán fǎ zhě zhōu jiù rén 。
机缘巧合之下，他恰好碰见传法者周救人。
Originally, Yu Chizong intended to solidify his rebel status and report himself to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
kàn jiàn zhè qún “ fǎn zéi ” shùn jiān ， tā de nǎo hǎi zhōng jiù fú xiàn le yù shí jù fén de jì cè 。
看见这群“反贼”瞬间，他的脑海中就浮现了玉石俱焚的计策。
But as he interacted with Practitioner Zhou Jianren, learning about her deeds and spending time with his companions, his mindset gradually changed.
dāng jí guì xià ， kěn qiú jiā rù 。
当即跪下，恳求加入。
Compared to purifying and cleansing the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance for the great task of returning practitioners to their original path, the matter concerning a single Shen Transformation cultivator in his family was insignificant.
chuán fǎ zhě zhōu jiàn yóu chì sōng rú cǐ chì chéng ， yě shùn biàn jiāng tā dài rù zì jǐ sī rén xiǎo shì jiè zhōng 。
传法者周见游赤松如此赤诚，也顺便将他带入自己私人小世界中。
Previously blinded by hatred, he now had a more noble goal: to restore the Xuanhuang Realm to its clear skies!
yuán běn yóu chì sōng dí què shì dǎ suàn zuò shí le zì jǐ fǎn zéi de shēn fèn ， ér hòu zhǔ dòng xiàng wàn xiān méng jǔ bào zì jǐ de 。
原本游赤松的确是打算坐实了自己反贼的身份，而后主动向万仙盟举报自己的。
...
bù guò suí zhe tā gēn chuán fǎ zhě zhōu de jiē chù ， zài liǎo jiě de tā de shì jì zhī hòu 。
不过随着他跟传法者周的接触，在了解的她的事迹之后。
Combining Yu Chizong's recent conversations and his life records, Li Fan easily deduced his journey of heart.
yǐ jí gēn shēn biān tóng bàn de zhāo xī xiāng chǔ ， yóu chì sōng de xīn tài què shì zhú jiàn fā shēng le biàn huà 。
以及跟身边同伴的朝夕相处，游赤松的心态却是逐渐发生了变化。
(End of Chapter)
However, this might not be contradictory. With both half-immortals engaging in combat with each other, they both gained inspiration for breakthroughs...
Both have the hope of truly shedding their mortal shackles and achieving the position of an immortal.
The Heavenly Capital Great Mage emulated the way of immortals from Immortal Vastness, resonating with enlightenment.
As for the Immortal King Xuan Tian...
Li Fan recalled the fragmented memories from the Vastness Teaching King of the Xuan Tian Sect in his mind.
"During the breakthrough process, an unforeseen disaster occurred."
Regarding the origins of the sudden collapse of the Xuan Tian Sect by the Ten Great Daoist Schools back then, Li Fan had also asked Dan Xuan about it.
But this old fellow was vague.
He said he didn't know much and just somehow won the final victory in a hazy manner.
Just like how the Xuan Tian Sect seemed to have lost for no reason.
"Dan Xuan must be hiding something. But we can be certain that, apart from the Xuan Tian Sect and the Ten Great Daoist Schools, there was a third force involved in the downfall of the Xuan Tian Sect."
"This force incited the Ten Great Daoist Schools to rebel, using Immortal King Xuan Tian's desire to clear out traitors as an opportunity. They facilitated this great war."
"The apparent victor seems to be the Ten Great Daoist Schools that gained control over the Xuanhuang Realm. But perhaps Immortal King Xuan Tian was their true target."
Li Fan's thoughts churned.
Recalling Mo Ru Bin's fear of the Faceless True Immortal statue, a bold guess instantly surfaced in Li Fan's mind.
"Is it possible that this was done by fervent followers of the Faceless True Immortal?"
"The almost-Immortal King Xuan Tian is their sacrificial offering..."
Over these years of spreading the "Red Dust Benevolent Immortal," Li Fan had witnessed firsthand how those cultivators' faith grew from nothing to something firm.
Source energy essence could transform the mundane into the miraculous, fulfilling many cultivator's dreams.
Even in his loosely managed World Federation, there were true followers of True Immortals who pledged their absolute loyalty.
Not to mention during the time when Faceless True Immortal statues were ubiquitous throughout ancient Xuan Tian Sect.
Even if Xuan Tian King later discovered something amiss and cleared out the statue from the main temple, how could one completely cleanse the images in cultivators' hearts?
Following a half-immortal whose enlightenment was uncertain versus following a true immortal, even possibly a "Nameless True Immortal"...
For most cultivators, they would likely choose the latter.
"So Mo Ru Bin lost trust in me after seeing my statue," Li Fan continued his reasoning.
Having reconstructed the possible truth, he began to deduce Xuan Tian King's whereabouts.
"There are two possibilities. One is that he was devoured by the Faceless True Immortal and vanished from this world forever. The Faceless True Immortal's power remains in the Xuanhuang Realm, hoping for more fruits."
"The second possibility is that the Faceless True Immortal failed to devour him. Xuan Tian King managed to survive a near-death experience. The fervent followers were then punished by the enraged True Immortal and vanished without a trace."
The latter scenario seems more likely. After all, apart from my lineage, there are no other traces of the Faceless True Immortal's Daoist tradition in the Xuanhuang Realm. If the sacrifice was successful back then, they wouldn't stop after tasting the sweet rewards.
Li Fan's eyes gleamed.
"Mo Ru Bin's insistence on rescuing the Heavenly Xuan Mirror, even going so far as to cooperate with me, suggests he is certain that Xuan Tian King didn't die and that the Heavenly Xuan Mirror knows his whereabouts."
"So it makes sense."
Since disappearing from the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, they haven't appeared in the Xuanhuang Realm. The paper figures from the Overcoming Tribulations Sect have never been seen, nor has anyone with a Heavenly Xuan Mirror.
They directly left the main space of the Heavenly Xuan Mirror and appeared elsewhere.
...
"It seems I need to find a way to meet Practitioner Zhou Jian."
Li Fan focused on his crafted white jade statue again.
Recording the voice transmitted by the statue and its vague influence, comparing it with records in the Heavenly Xuan Mirror's database, trying to find a breakthrough.
The vast majority of identified cultivators were listed as deceased targets by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
But after over ten days of continuous monitoring, Li Fan actually found one who wasn't under the alliance's wanted list and still maintained his status as an official cultivator.
"What a bold move. He doesn’t seem to fear牵连家族..."
Li Fan thought to himself but upon reviewing this cultivator's life records, he discovered that Yu Chizong...
Had likely done it intentionally.
Yu Chizong was an元婴 cultivator.
The eldest son of the You Family in the Heavenly辰州.
Ten years ago, he had a chance to ascend to the Shen Transformation Realm.
However, his father passed on the only "Heaven and Earth Birth Change" to Yu Chibai instead.
This shattered Yu Chizong's hopes for ascension.
His actions even gained support from most of the You Family.
Only because Yu Chibai’s talent was far superior to Yu Chizong's.
Yu Chizong spent nearly a century cultivating his婴 in resource-rich conditions, while Yu Chibai only took thirty years.
The gap was too large; even Yu Chizong's mother could only sigh and comfort him.
But Yu Chizong was不服!
Because he had been the first to discover and report this "Heaven and Earth Birth Change" information.
It should have been his, but it was snatched away and given to his brother!
This resentment grew in Yu Chizong’s heart.
The bloody cleansing of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance provided him with an opportunity for revenge against his family.
By chance, he met Practitioner Zhou Jianren.
Seeing these "rebels," a strategy to destroy both came to mind instantly. He immediately knelt and begged to join.
Practitioner Zhou Jianren was moved by Yu Chizong's sincerity and took him into her private little world.
Originally, Yu Chizong intended to solidify his rebel status and report himself to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
But as he interacted with Practitioner Zhou Jianren, learning about her deeds and spending time with his companions, his mindset gradually changed.
Compared to purifying and cleansing the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance for the great task of returning practitioners to their original path, the matter concerning a single Shen Transformation cultivator in his family was insignificant.
Previously blinded by hatred, he now had a more noble goal: to restore the Xuanhuang Realm to its clear skies!
...
Combining Yu Chizong's recent conversations and his life records, Li Fan easily deduced his journey of heart.
(End of Chapter)