“ huāng jiù zài zhè huà líng jiàn zuì shēn chù de huà líng qīng hé zhōng chén mián 。”
“荒就在这化灵涧最深处的化灵青河中沉眠。”
"Huang is sleeping deep within the Spirit Transformation Creek, in the Spirit Transformation Qing River."
“ cǐ chù néng gòu zhèn yā líng qì bō dòng de huà líng shí ， jiù shì yóu huà líng qīng hé hé shuǐ zài rì jī yuè lěi zhōng níng jié ér chéng 。”
“此处能够镇压灵气波动的化灵石，就是由化灵青河河水在日积月累中凝结而成。”
"The stones that suppress the fluctuations of spirit energy here are formed by the accumulation of the Spirit Transformation Qing River's waters over time."
“ huà líng shí dōu yǒu rú cǐ gōng xiào ， huà líng qīng hé jiù gèng shì kě bù le 。 jiù suàn shì hé dào xiū shì ， ruò shì zài lǐ miàn dài jiǔ le ， yě yǒu bèi nì bì de fēng xiǎn 。”
“化灵石都有如此功效，化灵青河就更是可怖了。就算是合道修士，若是在里面待久了，也有被溺毙的风险。”
"Given the effects of these spirit transformation stones, it’s even more terrifying for the Spirit Transformation Qing River. Even a cultivator who has reached the Dao Foundation realm could risk drowning if they stay in there too long."
“ dàn cǐ chù duì yú huāng ér yán ， què shì bù kě duō dé de xiū liàn shèng dì 。 yī qiè líng qì bō dòng bèi yā zhì dào jí diǎn ， tā cái néng gòu zhuān xīn chuí liàn zì jǐ de ròu shēn 。”
“但此处对于荒而言，却是不可多得的修炼圣地。一切灵气波动被压制到极点，他才能够专心锤炼自己的肉身。”
"But to Huang, this place is an unparalleled sanctuary for cultivation. With all the fluctuations of spirit energy suppressed to their extreme, he can now focus on refining his physical body."
zhōu miàn sè níng zhòng ， zhāng kāi fáng hù zhào ， dài lǐng zhòng rén qián rù huà líng qīng hé zhōng 。
周面色凝重，张开防护罩，带领众人潜入化灵青河中。
Zhou's expression was grave as he activated a protective barrier and led everyone into the Spirit Transformation Qing River.
bù duàn xiàng xià shēn rù 。
不断向下深入。
They continued to descend deeper.
bù shì yì bān hé shuǐ nà yàng ， yuè shēn yuè jiù yuè hēi àn 。
不似一般河水那样，越深越就越黑暗。
Unlike ordinary rivers where it gets darker with depth, the Spirit Transformation Qing River seemed to emit its own light. No matter how long they dived, the surroundings remained an unsettling, eerie green that made one feel uneasy.
huà líng qīng hé shuǐ ， fǎng fú zì jǐ jiù shì guāng yuán bān 。 wú lùn xià qián le duō jiǔ ， zhōu wéi dōu shì yī chéng bù biàn de 、 lìng rén xīn huāng de guǐ yì qīng sè 。
化灵青河水，仿佛自己就是光源般。无论下潜了多久，周围都是一成不变的、令人心慌的诡异青色。
The deep green water acted as a barrier, gradually shielding Li Fan's enhanced spiritual awareness.
shēn shēn de qīng shuǐ ， fǎng fú gé lí dài 。 jiāng lǐ fán qiáng yú cháng rén de shén shí gǎn zhī dōu zhú jiàn píng bì diào 。
深深的青水，仿佛隔离带。将李凡强于常人的神识感知都逐渐屏蔽掉。
Fortunately, after consulting Tianyang about the river and confirming that his puppet body material and source essence were unaffected by the river, Zhou felt somewhat relieved.
bù guò hǎo zài lǐ fán xún wèn le yī fān tiān yáng ， dé dào le tā de kuǐ lěi shēn qū cái liào 、 yǐ jí yuán lì jīng cuì sī háo bù shòu cǐ chù huà líng hé shuǐ de yǐng xiǎng zhī hòu ， zhè cái xīn zhōng shāo ān 。
不过好在李凡询问了一番天阳，得到了他的傀儡身躯材料、以及源力精粹丝毫不受此处化灵河水的影响之后，这才心中稍安。
Tianyang seemed to sense Huang's unease and proactively set up a protective layer on him.
sì hū shì chá jué dào lǐ fán de tǎn tè ， tiān yáng hái zhǔ dòng zài lǐ fán shēn shàng bù xià le yī céng fáng hù lì liàng 。
似乎是察觉到李凡的忐忑，天阳还主动在李凡身上布下了一层防护力量。
The slight energy fluctuations caught the attention of two transmitters.
zhè xiē xǔ de néng liàng bō dòng ， yǐn qǐ le liǎng wèi chuán fǎ zhě de zhù yì 。
这些许的能量波动，引起了两位传法者的注意。
"Senior Tian truly has excellent skills!"
“ tiān qián bèi guǒ rán hǎo shǒu duàn ！”
“天前辈果然好手段！”
This place was one of the few secret sanctuaries of the Immortal Alliance. They had been here before, mastering methods to move around in the Spirit Transformation Qing River.
cǐ chù shǔ yú xiān méng jǐ dà mì dì zhī yī ， tā men zì rán bú shì dì yī cì lái cǐ 、 zǎo jiù zhǎng wò le néng gòu miǎn qiǎng zài huà líng qīng hé shuǐ zhōng huó dòng de fāng fǎ 。
此处属于仙盟几大秘地之一，他们自然不是第一次来此、早就掌握了能够勉强在化灵青河水中活动的方法。
However, this Heavenly Elder from the Interdimensional Federation seemed completely unaffected by it...
bù guò zhè wèi wàn jiè lián hé huì tiān zhǎng lǎo ， jū rán wán quán bù shòu zhè lǐ yǐng xiǎng de yàng zi ……
不过这位万界联合会天长老，居然完全不受这里影响的样子……
Their assessment of Tianyang's strength rose slightly.
tā men duì yú tiān yáng shí lì de píng gū ， yòu zài dù shàng shēng le shǎo xǔ 。
他们对于天阳实力的评估，又再度上升了少许。
"Arrived."
“ dào le ……”
“到了……”
Looking at a vortex below, Zhou whispered.
kàn zhe xià fāng de yī chù xuán wō ， chuán fǎ zhě zhōu qīng shēng shuō dào 。
看着下方的一处旋涡，传法者周轻声说道。
Li Fan looked and saw a withered figure seemingly hidden within the vortex.
lǐ fán wén yán wàng qù ， zhǐ jiàn xuán wō zhī zhōng 、 sì hū cáng zhe yī dào kū shòu de rén yǐng 。
李凡闻言望去，只见旋涡之中、似乎藏着一道枯瘦的人影。
The vortex remained for some time before suddenly calming down. The direction of the vortex changed, shooting out Spirit Transformation Qing River waters upwards.
zhè xuán wō wéi chí le yī zhèn ， què hū rán píng xī 。 ér hòu wō xuán de fāng xiàng fā shēng le zhuǎn huà ， jìng rán cháo zhe shàng fāng měng liè pēn yǒng zhe huà líng hé shuǐ 。
这旋涡维持了一阵，却忽然平息。而后涡旋的方向发生了转化，竟然朝着上方猛烈喷涌着化灵河水。
Li Fan realized that this vortex was formed as the withered figure breathed in and out, taking in water.
lǐ fán zhè cái kàn chū ， yuán lái zhè xuán wō shì suí zhe nà dào kū shòu rén yǐng ， hū xī jiān tūn tǔ hé shuǐ ér shēng chéng ！
李凡这才看出，原来这旋涡是随着那道枯瘦人影，呼吸间吞吐河水而生成！
"Is he Huang..."
“ tā jiù shì huāng me ……”
“他就是荒么……”
Almost reduced to a skeleton, Huang appeared weak compared to his robust appearance.
jī hū shòu de zhǐ shèng xià gǔ jià ， huāng wài biǎo kàn shàng qù sì hū gēn ròu shēn qiáng hàn sī háo bù zhān biān 。
几乎瘦的只剩下骨架，荒外表看上去似乎跟肉身强悍丝毫不沾边。
But his skin's faint golden hue stood out even at the bottom of the green river. This hinted at the extraordinary nature of his body.
dàn shì tā pí fū yǐn yǐn chéng xiàn de àn jīn sè 、 jí shǐ zài zhè qīng sè de hé dǐ shēn chù ， dōu rú cǐ xiǎn yǎn 。 yòu yǐn yǐn shuō míng le tā zhè jù qū tǐ de jí bù píng fán 。
但是他皮肤隐隐呈现的暗金色、即使在这青色的河底深处，都如此显眼。又隐隐说明了他这具躯体的极不平凡。
"Huang is still asleep. If we wake him up abruptly, he will surely unleash a violent attack," Zhou said, glancing at Tianyang.
“ huāng zhèng zài chén shuì zhī zhōng ， rú guǒ mào rán bǎ tā chǎo xǐng ， jiù shì bì huì miàn duì tā kuáng fēng bào yǔ bān de xí jī 。” zhōu kàn le yǎn tiān yáng ， rú cǐ shuō dào 。
“荒正在沉睡之中，如果贸然把他吵醒，就势必会面对他狂风暴雨般的袭击。”周看了眼天阳，如此说道。
Li Fan's heart raced as Tianyang showed an air of arrogance and flew forward, slapping Huang on the head with one hand.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng yī dòng ， tiān yáng miàn lù ào rán zhī sè ， fēi shēn shàng qián 、 yī bā zhǎng pāi zài le huāng de nǎo dài shàng 。
李凡心中一动，天阳面露傲然之色，飞身上前、一巴掌拍在了荒的脑袋上。
Zhou and Wei's eyelids flickered instinctively, pulling Li Fan away slightly.
chuán fǎ zhě zhōu 、 wèi ， yǎn pí jù shì zhí tiào 。
传法者周、卫，眼皮俱是直跳。
---
běn néng de lā zhe lǐ fán ， zhí zhí wǎng shàng yuǎn lí le shǎo xǔ 。
本能的拉着李凡，直直往上远离了少许。
A momentary silence passed. Suddenly, a terrifying aura akin to a volcanic eruption emerged from deep within the river.
piàn kè de jì jìng zhī hòu ， hé dǐ shēn chù ， wǎn ruò huǒ shān bào fā de kǒng bù qì shì zhòu rán fú xiàn 。
片刻的寂静之后，河底深处，宛若火山爆发的恐怖气势骤然浮现。
Huang opened his eyes, looking like an ancient beast, merciless and brutal.
huāng cóng shuì mèng zhōng zhēng kāi le shuāng yǎn ， yóu rú hóng huāng jù shòu bān ， wú qíng 、 cán bào 。
荒从睡梦中睁开了双眼，犹如洪荒巨兽般，无情、残暴。
He instantly locked Tianyang's spirit.
shùn jiān suǒ líng le xiǎo xiǎo de tiān yáng shēn qū 。
瞬间锁灵了小小的天阳身躯。
Golden light shone in his eyes as Huang looked at the standing Tianyang, raising his hand high.
yǎn zhōng sī sī jīn guāng yǒng xiàn ， huāng kàn zhe jìng jìng zhàn zài zì jǐ miàn qián de tiān yáng ， shǒu zhǎng gāo gāo jǔ qǐ 。
眼中丝丝金光涌现，荒看着静静站在自己面前的天阳，手掌高高举起。
Boom!
hōng ！
轰！
The once calm Spirit Transformation Qing River suddenly surged with energy.
píng jìng 、 chén jì de huà líng qīng hé ， hū de xiōng yǒng ér dòng qǐ lái 。
平静、沉寂的化灵青河，忽的汹涌而动起来。
The three observers, Li Fan included, struggled to maintain their balance against the raging current.
hé shuǐ chà nà jiān biàn dé tuān jí ， yī páng guān zhàn de lǐ fán sān rén zài tāo tāo jí liú zhōng 、 zhǐ néng miǎn qiǎng wéi chí shēn xíng 。
河水刹那间变得湍急，一旁观战的李凡三人在滔滔急流中、只能勉强维持身形。
However...
rán ér ……
然而……
Huang's impending destructive palm was firmly held by a small, innocent hand.
huāng nà jí jiāng là xià 、 yùn hán huǐ miè xìng lì liàng de yī bā zhǎng ， què bèi yī zhī zhì nèn de shǒu gěi láo láo wò zhù 。
荒那即将落下、蕴含毁灭性力量的一巴掌，却被一只稚嫩的手给牢牢握住。
No movement was possible.
bù néng zài dòng fēn háo 。
不能再动分毫。
"Hmm?"
“ ń ？”
“嗯？”
Huang's expression changed dramatically as he tried to free his tightly locked right hand.
huāng bó rán sè biàn 。
荒勃然色变。
Despite exerting all his strength, it remained immobile.
shì tú zhèng tuō zì jǐ bèi jǐn suǒ de yòu shǒu 。
试图挣脱自己被紧锁的右手。
His body shrank instantly, transforming from a withered middle-aged man into an emaciated child.
dàn shì zòng rán yǐ jīng jiāng quán shēn de lì qì dōu bào fā chū lái ， què jū rán yī jiù wú fǎ táo tuō 。
但是纵然已经将全身的力气都爆发出来，却居然依旧无法逃脱。
Once out of Tianyang's control, he retreated violently.
shēn tǐ chà nà zhī jiān suō xiǎo ， huāng cóng kū shòu de zhōng nián nán zi biàn chéng le wǎn rú è piǎo de yòu tóng 。
身体刹那之间缩小，荒从枯瘦的中年男子变城了宛如饿殍的幼童。
"Who are you?"
tuō lí le tiān yáng de zhǎng kòng zhī hòu ， shēn xíng bào tuì 。
脱离了天阳的掌控之后，身形暴退。
Defeated by this stranger in the realm of absolute power, Huang was shaken to the core.
“ nǐ jiū jìng shì shén me rén ？”
“你究竟是什么人？”
He did not show the usual madness but carefully observed Tianyang.
zài jué duì zì xìn de lì liàng lǐng yù ， bèi zhè tū rán chū xiàn de mò shēng rén dǎ bài 。
在绝对自信的力量领域，被这突然出现的陌生人打败。
"Hahaha! Huang, I never thought I'd see the day when you're humiliated!"
huāng xīn zhōng de zhèn dòng kě xiǎng ér zhī 。
荒心中的震动可想而知。
Wei's voice came from above. Only then did Huang notice Li Fan and his companions.
gēn běn méi yǒu biǎo xiàn chū chuán shuō zhōng de nà bān diān kuáng ， zhǐ shì shí fēn jǐn shèn de dǎ liàng zhe tiān yáng 。
根本没有表现出传说中的那般癫狂，只是十分谨慎的打量着天阳。
"There’s no need for surprise, Huang. This is Senior Heavenly of the Interdimensional Federation. His strength has reached the Longevity Realm. You losing to him is normal," Zhou said with a hidden smile.
“ hā hā hā hā ， huāng ， zhēn méi yǒu xiǎng dào 、 wǒ jū rán hái néng kàn dào nǐ chī biě de zhè yī tiān ！”
“哈哈哈哈，荒，真没有想到、我居然还能看到你吃瘪的这一天！”
"Interdimensional Federation? What's that?"
chuán fǎ zhě wèi de shēng yīn cóng shàng fāng chuán lái ， huāng zhè cái zhù yì dào guān zhàn de lǐ fán sān rén 。
传法者卫的声音从上方传来，荒这才注意到观战的李凡三人。
Huang was not pleased with these former colleagues.
“ bù bì jīng yà ， huāng 。 zhè wèi shì wàn jiè lián hé huì de tiān qián bèi ， yī shēn shí lì ， yǐ zhì cháng shēng jìng 。 nǐ bù dí ， yě shì zhèng cháng 。” zhōu liǎn shàng guà zhe yǎn shì bú zhù de xiào yì ， jiě shì qǐ lái 。
“不必惊讶，荒。这位是万界联合会的天前辈，一身实力，已至长生境。你不敌，也是正常。”周脸上挂着掩饰不住的笑意，解释起来。
"How long have I been asleep?"
“ wàn jiè lián hé huì ？ shén me dōng xī ？！” huāng méi yǒu hǎo liǎn sè gěi yǎn qián zhè liǎng wèi xī rì de tóng liáo 。
“万界联合会？什么东西？！”荒没有好脸色给眼前这两位昔日的同僚。
"Just fifteen years?" Huang asked, somewhat uncertain.
“ wǒ dào dǐ chén shuì le duō jiǔ ？”
“我到底沉睡了多久？”
"I still need to question you. You claim to monitor the Xuanhuang Realm but know nothing about this powerful Interdimensional Federation hidden within it?" Zhou whispered privately.
“ cái shí wǔ nián ？” huāng yǒu xiē jīng yí bù dìng dào 。
“才十五年？”荒有些惊疑不定道。
He also informed him of recent events in the Immortal Alliance.
“ wǒ hái yào zhì wèn nǐ ne 。 nǐ zì xǔ jiān chá xuán huáng ， què duì xuán huáng jiè zhōng yǐn cáng zhe de wàn jiè lián hé huì zhè bān qiáng dà de shì lì jū rán yī wú suǒ zhī ？” zhōu sī xià chuán yīn dào 。
“我还要质问你呢。你自诩监察玄黄，却对玄黄界中隐藏着的万界联合会这般强大的势力居然一无所知？”周私下传音道。
---
shùn dài bǎ zuì jìn xiān méng zhōng fā shēng de yī qiè xiáng xì gào zhī 。
顺带把最近仙盟中发生的一切详细告之。
"Xuanhuang remnants stirring up trouble, possessing transmitters and seizing control of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?"
“ xuán tiān yú niè xīng fēng zuò làng ， duó shě le chuán fǎ zhě 。 jiū zhàn què cháo ， qǔ dé le wàn xiān méng de zhǎng kòng quán ？”
“玄天余孽兴风作浪，夺舍了传法者。鸠占鹊巢，取得了万仙盟的掌控权？”
Hearing such a change, Huang did not show extreme anger but remained calm. He asked Zhou for details about various aspects.
tīng wén rú cǐ yì biàn ， huāng bìng méi yǒu biǎo xiàn de tè bié zhèn nù 。
听闻如此异变，荒并没有表现的特别震怒。
"How much do you know about this Interdimensional Federation?"
ér shì shí fēn lěng jìng de zài sī suǒ zhe 。
而是十分冷静的在思索着。
"We have no idea... Don't look at me with that expression. This federation appears out of nowhere; we can’t trace its origins or roots. It doesn’t match any hidden powerful figures recorded. If not for the fact that only our Xuanhuang Realm remains, I would doubt if they are from other cultivation realms."
bù duàn xiàng chuán fǎ zhě zhōu xún wèn zhǒng zhǒng xì jié 。
不断向传法者周询问种种细节。
...
“ zhè wàn jiè lián hé huì de dǐ xì nǐ men dǎ tàn dào duō shǎo le ？”
“这万界联合会的底细你们打探到多少了？”
The three transmitters exchanged information quickly.
“ yī wú suǒ zhī …… bié ná nà zhǒng yǎn shén kàn wǒ 。 zhè shén me lián hé huì ， jiù xiàng wán quán píng kōng mào chū lái yī yàng ， gēn běn chá bú dào gēn jiǎo 、 lái yuán 。 gēn nà xiē yǒu jì lù de yǐn cáng qiáng zhě de quán dōu bù xiāng fú 。 yào bú shì rú jīn zhè piàn xīng hǎi zhōng ， zhǐ shèng xià wǒ men xuán huáng jiè le ， wǒ hái zhēn huái yí tā men shì bú shì qí tā xiū xiān jiè de rén shì 。”
“一无所知……别拿那种眼神看我。这什么联合会，就像完全凭空冒出来一样，根本查不到跟脚、来源。跟那些有记录的隐藏强者的全都不相符。要不是如今这片星海中，只剩下我们玄黄界了，我还真怀疑他们是不是其他修仙界的人士。”
Then they all turned to Li Fan and Tianyang.
……
……
"Thankfully, Senior Heavenly intervened; otherwise, Huang's temper might have caused a disturbance, drawing attention from the cultivators in the Spirit Transformation Creek. Perhaps Chen would have noticed," Wei said with relief.
sān wèi chuán fǎ zhě kuài sù jiāo huàn le yī fān xìn xī 。
三位传法者快速交换了一番信息。
Huang's expression darkened while Zhou smiled.
ér hòu qí qí kàn xiàng lǐ fán 、 tiān yáng èr rén 。
而后齐齐看向李凡、天阳二人。
"You have great strength."
“ duō kuī le tiān qián bèi chū shǒu ， fǒu zé àn zhào huāng de qǐ chuáng qì ， dìng rán yào dà nào yī fān 、 yǐn qǐ shàng miàn huà líng jiàn xiū shì de zhù yì 。 shuō bù dìng chén nà biān jiù huì yǒu suǒ chá jué le 。” wèi gǒng le gǒng shǒu ， yǒu xiē qìng xìng de shuō dào 。
“多亏了天前辈出手，否则按照荒的起床气，定然要大闹一番、引起上面化灵涧修士的注意。说不定辰那边就会有所察觉了。”卫拱了拱手，有些庆幸的说道。
"I only used three-tenths of my power to suppress you."
huāng miàn lù bù shàn ， zhōu zé shì yī fù xiào xī xī de mú yàng 。
荒面露不善，周则是一副笑嘻嘻的模样。
Without Li Fan’s instruction, Tianyang saw Huang's dissatisfaction and spoke up to console him.
“ nǐ de lì qì ， hěn dà 。”
“你的力气，很大。”
Huang's face turned even more gloomy. He knew that such a powerful figure like Tianyang had no need to exaggerate.
“ wǒ yě shì yòng le sān fēn quán lì ， cái jiāng nǐ yā zhì de 。”
“我也是用了三分全力，才将你压制的。”
"Three-tenths... " A sense of hope and helplessness surged in his heart.
méi yǒu lǐ fán de zhǐ shì ， tiān yáng kàn chū le huāng de bù fú qì ， zì jǐ chū shēng quàn wèi dào 。
没有李凡的指示，天阳看出了荒的不服气，自己出声劝慰道。
Following the method of the Heavenly Sovereign, he had been refining his body day and night for thousands of years.
huāng de liǎn sè gèng jiā nán kàn le 。
荒的脸色更加难看了。
He felt as if he was reaching some kind of limit.
yīn wèi tā zhī dào ， shì tiān yáng zhè bān de qiáng zhě gēn běn méi yǒu kuā dà qí cí de bì yào 。
因为他知道，似天阳这般的强者根本没有夸大其词的必要。
As a transmitter, he could no longer go against the natural order.
“ sān fēn lì qì me ……” huāng xīn zhōng dùn shí shēng chū yī gǔ wú lì yǐ jí xī wàng 。
“三分力气么……”荒心中顿时生出一股无力以及希望。
His path seemed to end here.
zì jǐ àn zhào tiān zūn de fāng fǎ ， shù qiān nián lái yì zhí rì yè bù tíng cuì liàn shēn qū 。
自己按照天尊的方法，数千年来一直日夜不停淬炼身躯。
But the appearance of this Senior Heavenly brought a glimmer of hope.
yǐ jīng yǐn yǐn gǎn dào 、 sì hū yǐ jīng dá dào mǒu zhǒng jí xiàn le 。
已经隐隐感到、似乎已经达到某种极限了。
Huang, always straightforward, directly asked for advice in front of everyone.
yīn wèi shēn wèi chuán fǎ zhě de yuán gù ， wú fǎ zài nì tiān dì zhī lǐ 。
因为身为传法者的缘故，无法再逆天地之理。
(End of Chapter)
"Huang is sleeping deep within the Spirit Transformation Creek, in the Spirit Transformation Qing River."
"The stones that suppress the fluctuations of spirit energy here are formed by the accumulation of the Spirit Transformation Qing River's waters over time."
"Given the effects of these spirit transformation stones, it’s even more terrifying for the Spirit Transformation Qing River. Even a cultivator who has reached the Dao Foundation realm could risk drowning if they stay in there too long."
"But to Huang, this place is an unparalleled sanctuary for cultivation. With all the fluctuations of spirit energy suppressed to their extreme, he can now focus on refining his physical body."
Zhou's expression was grave as he activated a protective barrier and led everyone into the Spirit Transformation Qing River.
They continued to descend deeper.
Unlike ordinary rivers where it gets darker with depth, the Spirit Transformation Qing River seemed to emit its own light. No matter how long they dived, the surroundings remained an unsettling, eerie green that made one feel uneasy.
The deep green water acted as a barrier, gradually shielding Li Fan's enhanced spiritual awareness.
Fortunately, after consulting Tianyang about the river and confirming that his puppet body material and source essence were unaffected by the river, Zhou felt somewhat relieved.
Tianyang seemed to sense Huang's unease and proactively set up a protective layer on him.
The slight energy fluctuations caught the attention of two transmitters.
"Senior Tian truly has excellent skills!"
This place was one of the few secret sanctuaries of the Immortal Alliance. They had been here before, mastering methods to move around in the Spirit Transformation Qing River.
However, this Heavenly Elder from the Interdimensional Federation seemed completely unaffected by it...
Their assessment of Tianyang's strength rose slightly.
"Arrived."
Looking at a vortex below, Zhou whispered.
Li Fan looked and saw a withered figure seemingly hidden within the vortex.
The vortex remained for some time before suddenly calming down. The direction of the vortex changed, shooting out Spirit Transformation Qing River waters upwards.
Li Fan realized that this vortex was formed as the withered figure breathed in and out, taking in water.
"Is he Huang..."
Almost reduced to a skeleton, Huang appeared weak compared to his robust appearance.
But his skin's faint golden hue stood out even at the bottom of the green river. This hinted at the extraordinary nature of his body.
"Huang is still asleep. If we wake him up abruptly, he will surely unleash a violent attack," Zhou said, glancing at Tianyang.
Li Fan's heart raced as Tianyang showed an air of arrogance and flew forward, slapping Huang on the head with one hand.
Zhou and Wei's eyelids flickered instinctively, pulling Li Fan away slightly.
---
A momentary silence passed. Suddenly, a terrifying aura akin to a volcanic eruption emerged from deep within the river.
Huang opened his eyes, looking like an ancient beast, merciless and brutal.
He instantly locked Tianyang's spirit.
Golden light shone in his eyes as Huang looked at the standing Tianyang, raising his hand high.
Boom!
The once calm Spirit Transformation Qing River suddenly surged with energy.
The three observers, Li Fan included, struggled to maintain their balance against the raging current.
However...
Huang's impending destructive palm was firmly held by a small, innocent hand.
No movement was possible.
"Hmm?"
Huang's expression changed dramatically as he tried to free his tightly locked right hand.
Despite exerting all his strength, it remained immobile.
His body shrank instantly, transforming from a withered middle-aged man into an emaciated child.
Once out of Tianyang's control, he retreated violently.
"Who are you?"
Defeated by this stranger in the realm of absolute power, Huang was shaken to the core.
He did not show the usual madness but carefully observed Tianyang.
"Hahaha! Huang, I never thought I'd see the day when you're humiliated!"
Wei's voice came from above. Only then did Huang notice Li Fan and his companions.
"There’s no need for surprise, Huang. This is Senior Heavenly of the Interdimensional Federation. His strength has reached the Longevity Realm. You losing to him is normal," Zhou said with a hidden smile.
"Interdimensional Federation? What's that?"
Huang was not pleased with these former colleagues.
"How long have I been asleep?"
"Just fifteen years?" Huang asked, somewhat uncertain.
"I still need to question you. You claim to monitor the Xuanhuang Realm but know nothing about this powerful Interdimensional Federation hidden within it?" Zhou whispered privately.
He also informed him of recent events in the Immortal Alliance.
---
"Xuanhuang remnants stirring up trouble, possessing transmitters and seizing control of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?"
Hearing such a change, Huang did not show extreme anger but remained calm. He asked Zhou for details about various aspects.
"How much do you know about this Interdimensional Federation?"
"We have no idea... Don't look at me with that expression. This federation appears out of nowhere; we can’t trace its origins or roots. It doesn’t match any hidden powerful figures recorded. If not for the fact that only our Xuanhuang Realm remains, I would doubt if they are from other cultivation realms."
...
The three transmitters exchanged information quickly.
Then they all turned to Li Fan and Tianyang.
"Thankfully, Senior Heavenly intervened; otherwise, Huang's temper might have caused a disturbance, drawing attention from the cultivators in the Spirit Transformation Creek. Perhaps Chen would have noticed," Wei said with relief.
Huang's expression darkened while Zhou smiled.
"You have great strength."
"I only used three-tenths of my power to suppress you."
Without Li Fan’s instruction, Tianyang saw Huang's dissatisfaction and spoke up to console him.
Huang's face turned even more gloomy. He knew that such a powerful figure like Tianyang had no need to exaggerate.
"Three-tenths... " A sense of hope and helplessness surged in his heart.
Following the method of the Heavenly Sovereign, he had been refining his body day and night for thousands of years.
He felt as if he was reaching some kind of limit.
As a transmitter, he could no longer go against the natural order.
His path seemed to end here.
But the appearance of this Senior Heavenly brought a glimmer of hope.
Huang, always straightforward, directly asked for advice in front of everyone.
(End of Chapter)