“ cóng xiàn zài qǐ ， wǒ men jiù shì yí gè zhěng tǐ le 。”
“从现在起，我们就是一个整体了。”
"From now on, we are a cohesive unit."
“ ruò shì yǒu rén fā xiàn le nà diào duì de sān rén xiǎng yào huí guī ， lì kè shàng bào 。 ér hòu dà jiā yī qí bǎ tā men jī shā 。”
“若是有人发现了那掉队的三人想要回归，立刻上报。而后大家一齐把他们击杀。”
"If anyone discovers that the three stragglers wish to return, report it immediately. Then, together, eliminate them."
“ jì zhù ， bú yào xiāng xìn cóng yōu àn zhōng huí lái de rén 。 nǎ pà tā céng jīng shì nǐ zuì qīn mì de tóng bàn 。”
“记住，不要相信从幽暗中回来的人。哪怕他曾经是你最亲密的同伴。”
"Remember, do not trust those who have returned from the dark realm. Even if they were your closest companions."
yì bù yì qū de qián xíng lù shàng ， xiān méng zhòng rén zài dù chóng shēn le jìn lìng 。
亦步亦趋的前行路上，仙盟众人再度重申了禁令。
On this path of strict adherence, the Immortal Alliance once again reiterated their prohibitions.
ér tóng shí ， tōng guò gēn chuán fǎ zhě zhōu de jiāo liú ， lǐ fán yě dé zhī le zhè yōu àn jué dì de lái lì 。
而同时，通过跟传法者周的交流，李凡也得知了这幽暗绝地的来历。
Through his interactions with Zhou, the Teaching Master, Li Fan also learned about the origins of the Dark Realm of Desolation.
yóu yú xiān xū de cún zài ， xuán huáng jiè wú shí wú kè bù zài shòu dào jí qí páng dà de xī lì yǐng xiǎng 。
由于仙墟的存在，玄黄界无时无刻不在受到极其庞大的吸力影响。
Due to the existence of the Immortal Void, Xuanhuang World was constantly under an immense gravitational pull.
àn zhào cháng lǐ lái jiǎng ， ruò shì bù jiā yǐ zǔ zhǐ ， xuán huáng jiè zhōng de yī qiè 、 dōu jiāng màn màn zhuì rù xiān xū 。
按照常理来讲，若是不加以阻止，玄黄界中的一切、都将慢慢坠入仙墟。
According to common sense, if left unchecked, everything in Xuanhuang World would gradually fall into the Immortal Void.
céng jīng wàn xiān méng xiū shì shì zhè yàng yǐ wéi de 。
曾经万仙盟修士是这样以为的。
Previously, the myriad cultivators of the Immortal Alliance believed this.
dàn yōu àn jué dì de fā xiàn ， què shì dǎ pò le zhè zhǒng rèn zhī 。
但幽暗绝地的发现，却是打破了这种认知。
But the discovery of the Dark Realm of Desolation shattered this认知.
yōu àn jué dì ， shì suǒ yǒu bèi lí xiān xū fāng xiàng de 、 shì jiān wù zhì jí hé 。
幽暗绝地，是所有背离仙墟方向的、世间物质集合。
The Dark Realm of Desolation was a convergence of all matter that had deviated from the direction of the Immortal Void.
suī rán réng shì xuán huáng jiè de yī bù fèn ， dàn zài zhè lǐ ， yǒu zhe zì jǐ dú tè de guī zé 。
虽然仍是玄黄界的一部分，但在这里，有着自己独特的规则。
Although still part of Xuanhuang World, it had its own unique set of rules.
chú le zhī qián suǒ shuō de ， shén shí 、 shēng yīn jiē wú fǎ lí tǐ zhī wài 。
除了之前所说的，神识、声音皆无法离体之外。
Apart from what had been previously mentioned—where consciousness and sound could not leave the body—the lost cultivators would be taken over by unknown entities in the dark. They would become something else, unaware of their transformation.
mí shī de xiū shì huì bèi yōu àn zhōng wèi zhī de cún zài duó qǔ shén zhì 。 biàn chéng lìng wài de cún zài 。
迷失的修士会被幽暗中未知的存在夺取神智。变成另外的存在。
"This... seems similar to Mo Ru Bin's possession technique?" Li Fan thought.
ér tā běn rén què wú fǎ chá jué 。
而他本人却无法察觉。
"Not exactly. It just shares some characteristics but doesn't mean anything."
“ zhè …… sì hū gēn mò rú bīn de duó shě zhī fǎ yǒu xiē xiāng sì ？” lǐ fán xīn zhōng yī dòng 。
“这……似乎跟墨儒斌的夺舍之法有些相似？”李凡心中一动。
Zhou seemed intent on avoiding this topic and continued: "Since its discovery, the Immortal Alliance has paid close attention to it. Because of the Dark Realm's deviation from the Immortal Void, there might be a way out by studying it. But only a few core Teaching Masters knew about it before."
“ bù cuò 。 dàn yě zhǐ shì tè xìng yǒu diǎn xiāng tóng bà le 。 bìng bù néng shuō míng shén me 。”
“不错。但也只是特性有点相同罢了。并不能说明什么。”
"The Heavenly Dao Sect's Dharmaraja once occupied their bodies and thus knew of this place."
chuán fǎ zhě zhōu sì hū yǒu yì bì kāi zhè ge huà tí ， jì xù shuō dào ：“ zì cóng cǐ dì bèi fā xiàn zhī hòu ， xiān méng nèi bù jiù duì qí shí fēn zhòng shì 。 yīn wèi yōu àn bèi lí xiān xū de tè diǎn ， shuō bù dìng kě yǐ tōng guò yán jiū tā ， zhǎo dào néng gòu tuō lí xiān xū de fāng fǎ 。 dàn cǐ qián yě jǐn xiàn yú zuì hé xīn de jǐ gè chuán fǎ zhě zhī dào 。”
传法者周似乎有意避开这个话题，继续说道：“自从此地被发现之后，仙盟内部就对其十分重视。因为幽暗背离仙墟的特点，说不定可以通过研究它，找到能够脱离仙墟的方法。但此前也仅限于最核心的几个传法者知道。”
"Dark Clan people do not live in the Dark Realm of Desolation; they were the first to discover how to open and utilize dark power. We discovered this secret during our battles with the Dark Clan, when we invaded their small world."
“ nà wèi xuán tiān jiào fǎ wáng céng jīng zhàn jù chén tā men jǐ wèi de shēn qū ， gù ér yě zhī dào le cǐ dì de cún zài 。”
“那位玄天教法王曾经占据辰他们几位的身躯，故而也知道了此地的存在。”
"Dark power? Could it be a completely different existence from Immortal Spirit Power?" Li Fan pondered.
“ yōu zú rén bìng fēi shēng huó zài yōu àn jué dì zhōng ， ér shì tā men dì yí gè fā xiàn le kāi qǐ yōu àn jué dì 、 bìng zhǎng wò le lì yòng yōu àn lì liàng de fāng fǎ 。 wǒ men yě shì zài zhēng fá yōu zú rén suǒ jū zhù de xiǎo shì jiè ， gēn tā men jiāo shǒu de guò chéng zhōng ， cái fā xiàn le zhè yī mì mì 。”
“幽族人并非生活在幽暗绝地中，而是他们第一个发现了开启幽暗绝地、并掌握了利用幽暗力量的方法。我们也是在征伐幽族人所居住的小世界，跟他们交手的过程中，才发现了这一秘密。”
"Not exactly. Over these years, we've observed that dark power shares some characteristics of Immortal Spirit Power. But..."
“ yōu àn lì liàng me ？ nán bù chéng ， gēn xiān líng zhī lì ， shì wán quán bù tóng de cún zài ？” lǐ fán chén yín zhe wèn dào 。
“幽暗力量么？难不成，跟仙灵之力，是完全不同的存在？”李凡沉吟着问道。
Zhou paused, searching for the right words: "Immortal Spirit Power and dark power are like people and their shadows."
“ zhè dào bú shì 。 jīng guò zhè xiē nián wǒ men de guān chá ， yōu àn lì liàng ， yě wán quán jù bèi xiān líng zhī lì de mǒu xiē tè diǎn 。 dàn ……” chuán fǎ zhě zhōu dùn le dùn ， sì hū shì zài xún zhǎo hé shì de miáo huì yǔ yán 。
“这倒不是。经过这些年我们的观察，幽暗力量，也完全具备仙灵之力的某些特点。但……”传法者周顿了顿，似乎是在寻找合适的描绘语言。
"Originally, they should be inseparable, interwoven. However, due to the existence of the Immortal Void, it forcibly separated them."
“ xiān líng zhī lì ， gēn yōu àn lì liàng 。 jiù xiàng shì rén gēn zì jǐ de yǐng zi yī yàng 。”
“仙灵之力，跟幽暗力量。就像是人跟自己的影子一样。”
Hearing this, Li Fan began to understand.
“ yuán běn ， cǐ èr zhě yīng dāng bù fēn bǐ cǐ 、 xiāng hù jiāo róng 。 dàn què yóu yú xiān xū de cún zài ， jìng rán jiāng yōu àn zhī lì qiáng xíng cóng zhōng bō lí le chū lái 。”
“原本，此二者应当不分彼此、相互交融。但却由于仙墟的存在，竟然将幽暗之力强行从中剥离了出来。”
Just as a centrifuge separates different components from a liquid, the dark power, because of its deviation from the Immortal Void, gathered in opposition to Xuanhuang World's descent into the Immortal Void.
lǐ fán wén yán ， yǐn yǐn yǒu xiē míng bái le 。
李凡闻言，隐隐有些明白了。
"The gravitational pull of the Immortal Void is due to the presence of the character '饥'."
jiù xiàng shì lí xīn jī fēn lí chū yè tǐ zhōng de bù tóng chéng fèn yī yàng 。
就像是离心机分离出液体中的不同成分一样。
"So what exactly is this dark power? How can it resist the True Immortal Inscription?"
yōu àn zhī lì yīn wèi qí bèi lí xiān xū de tè xìng ， suǒ yǐ zài zhěng gè xuán huáng jiè zhú jiàn zhuì rù xiān xū de tóng shí ， tā men yě quán dōu fǎn fāng xiàng huì jù qǐ lái 。
幽暗之力因为其背离仙墟的特性，所以在整个玄黄界逐渐坠入仙墟的同时，它们也全都反方向汇聚起来。
Li Fan was puzzled.
“ xiān xū de xī lì ， shì yīn wèi 【 jī 】 zì fú de cún zài 。”
“仙墟的吸力，是因为【饥】字符的存在。”
"We have already thoroughly explored the entire Dark Realm of Desolation. So when Mo Ru Bin intruded and caused an anomaly, we could immediately detect it."
“ nà me zhè yōu àn zhī lì yòu jiū jìng shì shén me ？ jìng rán néng gòu dǐ dǎng zhēn xiān zhuàn zì de lì liàng ？”
“那么这幽暗之力又究竟是什么？竟然能够抵挡真仙篆字的力量？”
"If you observe carefully, you should be able to notice as well," Zhou reminded him.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng yǒu xiē yí huò 。
李凡心中有些疑惑。
"Oh?"
“ wǒ men cǐ qián yǐ jīng duì zhěng gè yōu àn jué dì jìn xíng guò quán bù tàn suǒ 。 suǒ yǐ zhè cì mò rú bīn qián rù ， yǐn fā yì cháng zhī hòu ， wǒ men jiù néng dì yī shí jiān chá jué dào 。”
“我们此前已经对整个幽暗绝地进行过全部探索。所以这次墨儒斌潜入，引发异常之后，我们就能第一时间察觉到。”
Li Fan frowned and began sensing the surrounding darkness.
“ ruò shì nǐ xī xīn guān chá ， xiāng bǐ yě yīng gāi néng yǒu suǒ chá jué 。” chuán fǎ zhě zhōu tí xǐng dào 。
“若是你悉心观察，相比也应该能有所察觉。”传法者周提醒道。
After a while...
“ ó ？”
“哦？”
"Are you saying that this rhythmic movement is like water waves?" Li Fan asked.
lǐ fán wén yán ， dùn shí zhòu méi gǎn yìng qǐ zhōu wéi de yōu àn 。
李凡闻言，顿时皱眉感应起周围的幽暗。
"Yes. We detected Mo Ru Bin's aura at the source of this rhythm. However..."
bàn shǎng zhī hòu ……
半晌之后……
Zhou's tone became uncertain: "He has been here for about ten days, but he hasn't moved from his position. It seems as if he were severely injured and unconscious."
“ nǐ shì shuō ， zhè wǎn rú shuǐ bō yī yàng ， guī lǜ de yùn dòng ？” lǐ fán wèn dào 。
“你是说，这宛如水波一样，规律的韵动？”李凡问道。
"Could it be a trap?" Li Fan asked.
“ bù cuò 。 wǒ men zài zhè lǜ dòng de yuán tóu ， fā xiàn le mò rú bīn de qì xī 。 bù guò ……”
“不错。我们在这律动的源头，发现了墨儒斌的气息。不过……”
"It won't be," Zhou replied firmly.
chuán fǎ zhě zhōu de yǔ qì biàn dé yǒu xiē bù què dìng qǐ lái ：“ tā zài zhè lǐ yǐ jīng dà gài yǒu shí duō tiān le 。 què shǐ zhōng méi yǒu gǎi biàn guò wèi zhì 。 dǎo shì xiàng zhòng shāng shī qù le yì shí 。”
传法者周的语气变得有些不确定起来：“他在这里已经大概有十多天了。却始终没有改变过位置。倒是像重伤失去了意识。”
"Even if it is a trap... with so many of us here, a mere Ancient Life Technique Master doesn't scare him."
“ huì bú huì shì xiàn jǐng ？” lǐ fán bù yóu wèn dào 。
“会不会是陷阱？”李凡不由问道。
Seeing Zhou's confidence, Li Fan did not argue further.
“ bú huì 。” chuán fǎ zhě zhōu zhǎn dīng jié tiě dào 。
“不会。”传法者周斩钉截铁道。
Silence fell again as no one spoke.
“ jiù suàn shì xiàn jǐng …… wǒ men cǐ cì lái le zhè me duō rén ， qū qū yī wèi gǔ fǎ cháng shēng ， yě gēn běn bù pà tā 。”
“就算是陷阱……我们此次来了这么多人，区区一位古法长生，也根本不怕他。”
"Be on high alert; we're close."
jiàn chuán fǎ zhě zhōu rú cǐ zì xìn ， lǐ fán yě jiù méi yǒu zài chū shēng fǎn bó 。
见传法者周如此自信，李凡也就没有再出声反驳。
After an indeterminate amount of time, Zhou's warning came through.
méi yǒu rén jiāo liú ， zhōu wéi zài dù xiàn rù le kě bù de jì jìng zhī zhōng 。
没有人交流，周围再度陷入了可怖的寂静之中。
The Immortal Alliance formed a circle around the source of the rhythmic movement. They surrounded Mo Ru Bin hidden in the darkness.
“ xiǎo xīn jiè bèi ， kuài dào le 。”
“小心戒备，快到了。”
They waited for the signal to attack en masse.
bù zhī guò le duō jiǔ ， chuán fǎ zhě zhōu de tí shì chuán lái 。
不知过了多久，传法者周的提示传来。
Meanwhile, Li Fan was continuously reminded by the Ya Zi Array: "Is it really Mo Ru Bin?"
yáo yáo suǒ dìng le lǜ dòng chuán lái de fāng xiàng ， xiān méng zhòng rén àn zhào zhǐ shì 、 xíng chéng yí gè bāo wéi quān 。
遥遥锁定了律动传来的方向，仙盟众人按照指示、形成一个包围圈。
Li Fan was surprised.
bǎ yǐn cáng zài yōu àn zhōng de mò rú bīn tuán tuán wéi zhù 。
把隐藏在幽暗中的墨儒斌团团围住。
"Strange..."
zhǐ dài yī shēng lìng xià ， jiù qún qǐ ér gōng zhī 。
只待一声令下，就群起而攻之。
Despite his doubts, Li Fan did not act on them. He followed the Immortal Alliance's movements, gradually narrowing their circle.
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， lǐ fán yě cóng yá zì zhèn fǎ zhōng ， shòu dào le bù duàn dì tí xǐng 。
与此同时，李凡也从睚眦阵法中，受到了不断地提醒。
The cultivators held their breaths, but Mo Ru Bin showed no signs of awareness or reaction.
“ hái zhēn shì mò rú bīn ？”
“还真是墨儒斌？”
It seemed he didn't notice the approaching enemies at all.
lǐ fán bù jīn yǒu xiē chà yì 。
李凡不禁有些诧异。
Even when the Immortal Alliance finally arrived where he was.
suī rán xīn zhōng réng yǒu yōu yí ， dàn shì lǐ fán yě méi yǒu shàn zì wàng dòng 。
虽然心中仍有忧疑，但是李凡也没有擅自妄动。
"Alert lifted."
zhǐ shì gēn suí zhe xiān méng zhòng rén de dòng zuò ， yì qǐ zhú bù suō xiǎo shòu liè quān 。
只是跟随着仙盟众人的动作，一起逐步缩小狩猎圈。
"It seems he is dead," Zhou said incredulously.
zhòng rén bǐng xī yǐ dài ， dàn shì mò rú bīn què shǐ zhōng méi yǒu zuò chū rèn hé fǎn yìng 。
众人屏息以待，但是墨儒斌却始终没有做出任何反应。
"Hmm?"
sì hū gēn běn méi yǒu chá jué dào zhōu wéi dí rén de bī jìn yī yàng 。
似乎根本没有察觉到周围敌人的逼近一样。
A chill ran down Li Fan's spine. Following the bodies of the Immortal Alliance cultivators, he reached the center.
yì zhí dào xiān méng xiū shì zuì zhōng lái dào tā de mù qián dōu shì rú cǐ 。
一直到仙盟修士最终来到他的目前都是如此。
The moment his consciousness touched Mo Ru Bin's body, he sensed his current state.
……
……
Mo Ru Bin's face was gone; only a mass of dark energy pulsated around his head.
“ jiè bèi jiě chú 。”
“戒备解除。”
This scene was eerie, but what struck Li Fan more was Mo Ru Bin's body. Half remained human, while the other half seemed to be taken over by the darkness. It continuously transformed between the ethereal and physical states.
“ tā hǎo xiàng sǐ le 。”
“他好像死了。”
Under the试探 of the Immortal Alliance's black-robed assassins, it was confirmed that the dark energy devouring half of Mo Ru Bin's body wasn't an illusion but real flesh disappearing and reappearing in a cycle.
chuán fǎ zhě zhōu yǒu xiē bù gǎn zhì xìn de shēng yīn chuán lái 。
传法者周有些不敢置信的声音传来。
When the dark energy appeared and touched, it felt like touching nothing. But after some time, when the flesh reappeared, the dark energy vanished along with the assassin's hand.
“ ń ？”
“嗯？”
The dark energy seemed to spread through contact; the black-robed assassin was silently swallowed by his own rising darkness.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng hū de yǒng qǐ yī zhèn hán yì 。
李凡心中忽的涌起一阵寒意。
Fortunately, Zhou acted decisively, immediately cutting off communication and ordering them all to kill him instantly. This prevented the dark energy from spreading among the Immortal Alliance cultivators.
shùn zhe xiān méng zhòng xiū shì de shēn tǐ ， yī lù lái dào zuì zhōng yāng 。
顺着仙盟众修士的身体，一路来到最中央。
"What are your thoughts on this?" Zhou asked gravely.
dāng chù mō dào mò rú bīn shēn tǐ de chà nà ， shén shí yě gǎn yìng dào le tā rú jīn de jù tǐ miàn mào 。
当触摸到墨儒斌身体的刹那，神识也感应到了他如今的具体面貌。
Li Fan remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "The dark energy on Mo Ru Bin's body seems different from that in the Dark Realm of Desolation."
mò rú bīn de miàn páng yǐ jīng xiāo shī 。
墨儒斌的面庞已经消失。
"It is contagious on his body but not in the surrounding environment."
zhǐ yǒu yī tuán yōu àn ， bù duàn lí hé 。 zài nǎo dài shàng yǒng dòng 。
只有一团幽暗，不断离合。在脑袋上涌动。
"Until we understand what's happening here, it's best to avoid touching anything."
zhè yí mù shuō bù chū de guǐ yì ， dàn shì gèng ràng lǐ fán gǎn dào yǒu xiē jīng sǒng de shì mò rú bīn de shēn tǐ 。
这一幕说不出的诡异，但是更让李凡感到有些惊悚的是墨儒斌的身体。
(End of Chapter)
"From now on, we are a cohesive unit."
"If anyone discovers that the three stragglers wish to return, report it immediately. Then, together, eliminate them."
"Remember, do not trust those who have returned from the dark realm. Even if they were your closest companions."
On this path of strict adherence, the Immortal Alliance once again reiterated their prohibitions.
Through his interactions with Zhou, the Teaching Master, Li Fan also learned about the origins of the Dark Realm of Desolation.
Due to the existence of the Immortal Void, Xuanhuang World was constantly under an immense gravitational pull.
According to common sense, if left unchecked, everything in Xuanhuang World would gradually fall into the Immortal Void.
Previously, the myriad cultivators of the Immortal Alliance believed this.
But the discovery of the Dark Realm of Desolation shattered this认知.
The Dark Realm of Desolation was a convergence of all matter that had deviated from the direction of the Immortal Void.
Although still part of Xuanhuang World, it had its own unique set of rules.
Apart from what had been previously mentioned—where consciousness and sound could not leave the body—the lost cultivators would be taken over by unknown entities in the dark. They would become something else, unaware of their transformation.
"This... seems similar to Mo Ru Bin's possession technique?" Li Fan thought.
"Not exactly. It just shares some characteristics but doesn't mean anything."
Zhou seemed intent on avoiding this topic and continued: "Since its discovery, the Immortal Alliance has paid close attention to it. Because of the Dark Realm's deviation from the Immortal Void, there might be a way out by studying it. But only a few core Teaching Masters knew about it before."
"The Heavenly Dao Sect's Dharmaraja once occupied their bodies and thus knew of this place."
"Dark Clan people do not live in the Dark Realm of Desolation; they were the first to discover how to open and utilize dark power. We discovered this secret during our battles with the Dark Clan, when we invaded their small world."
"Dark power? Could it be a completely different existence from Immortal Spirit Power?" Li Fan pondered.
"Not exactly. Over these years, we've observed that dark power shares some characteristics of Immortal Spirit Power. But..."
Zhou paused, searching for the right words: "Immortal Spirit Power and dark power are like people and their shadows."
"Originally, they should be inseparable, interwoven. However, due to the existence of the Immortal Void, it forcibly separated them."
Hearing this, Li Fan began to understand.
Just as a centrifuge separates different components from a liquid, the dark power, because of its deviation from the Immortal Void, gathered in opposition to Xuanhuang World's descent into the Immortal Void.
"The gravitational pull of the Immortal Void is due to the presence of the character '饥'."
"So what exactly is this dark power? How can it resist the True Immortal Inscription?"
Li Fan was puzzled.
"We have already thoroughly explored the entire Dark Realm of Desolation. So when Mo Ru Bin intruded and caused an anomaly, we could immediately detect it."
"If you observe carefully, you should be able to notice as well," Zhou reminded him.
"Oh?"
Li Fan frowned and began sensing the surrounding darkness.
After a while...
"Are you saying that this rhythmic movement is like water waves?" Li Fan asked.
"Yes. We detected Mo Ru Bin's aura at the source of this rhythm. However..."
Zhou's tone became uncertain: "He has been here for about ten days, but he hasn't moved from his position. It seems as if he were severely injured and unconscious."
"Could it be a trap?" Li Fan asked.
"It won't be," Zhou replied firmly.
"Even if it is a trap... with so many of us here, a mere Ancient Life Technique Master doesn't scare him."
Seeing Zhou's confidence, Li Fan did not argue further.
Silence fell again as no one spoke.
"Be on high alert; we're close."
After an indeterminate amount of time, Zhou's warning came through.
The Immortal Alliance formed a circle around the source of the rhythmic movement. They surrounded Mo Ru Bin hidden in the darkness.
They waited for the signal to attack en masse.
Meanwhile, Li Fan was continuously reminded by the Ya Zi Array: "Is it really Mo Ru Bin?"
Li Fan was surprised.
"Strange..."
Despite his doubts, Li Fan did not act on them. He followed the Immortal Alliance's movements, gradually narrowing their circle.
The cultivators held their breaths, but Mo Ru Bin showed no signs of awareness or reaction.
It seemed he didn't notice the approaching enemies at all.
Even when the Immortal Alliance finally arrived where he was.
...
"Alert lifted."
"It seems he is dead," Zhou said incredulously.
"Hmm?"
A chill ran down Li Fan's spine. Following the bodies of the Immortal Alliance cultivators, he reached the center.
The moment his consciousness touched Mo Ru Bin's body, he sensed his current state.
Mo Ru Bin's face was gone; only a mass of dark energy pulsated around his head.
This scene was eerie, but what struck Li Fan more was Mo Ru Bin's body. Half remained human, while the other half seemed to be taken over by the darkness. It continuously transformed between the ethereal and physical states.
Under the试探 of the Immortal Alliance's black-robed assassins, it was confirmed that the dark energy devouring half of Mo Ru Bin's body wasn't an illusion but real flesh disappearing and reappearing in a cycle.
When the dark energy appeared and touched, it felt like touching nothing. But after some time, when the flesh reappeared, the dark energy vanished along with the assassin's hand.
The dark energy seemed to spread through contact; the black-robed assassin was silently swallowed by his own rising darkness.
Fortunately, Zhou acted decisively, immediately cutting off communication and ordering them all to kill him instantly. This prevented the dark energy from spreading among the Immortal Alliance cultivators.
"What are your thoughts on this?" Zhou asked gravely.
Li Fan remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "The dark energy on Mo Ru Bin's body seems different from that in the Dark Realm of Desolation."
"It is contagious on his body but not in the surrounding environment."
"Until we understand what's happening here, it's best to avoid touching anything."
(End of Chapter)