“ nǐ shuō shì ， nǐ biàn bèn le ？” bǎi huā dào rén zhēng zhēng dì kàn zhe qiǎo gōng jū shì 。
“你说是，你变笨了？”百花道人怔怔地看着巧工居士。
"Are you saying I've become dull?"百花道人 stared at the Ingenious Master with a puzzled expression.
“ yīng gāi ……”
“应该……”
"I should... probably..."
qiǎo gōng huà yīn wèi luò ， què tīng bǎi huā dào ：“ wǒ dǎo shì gēn yī kāi shǐ de shí hòu xiāng bǐ ， méi yǒu shén me míng xiǎn de biàn huà 。 zhè huì bú huì shì nǐ zì shēn de yuán yīn ？”
巧工话音未落，却听百花道：“我倒是跟一开始的时候相比，没有什么明显的变化。这会不会是你自身的原因？”
Before Ingenious Master could finish, Flower Hundred said, "Actually, compared to when we first met, there hasn't been any significant change in me. Could it be your own reasons?"
qiǎo gōng wén yán yǎ rán 。
巧工闻言哑然。
Ingenious Master fell silent upon hearing this.
“ duō cāi wú yì 。 bù rú qù qīn zì shì yī shì 。” fāng zài jì yǎn zhōng shǎn shuò zhe yuè yuè yù shì de guāng máng 。
“多猜无益。不如去亲自试一试。”方再济眼中闪烁着跃跃欲试的光芒。
"Guessing too much is pointless. Why not try it yourself?" Fang Zaize's eyes sparkled with eagerness.
zhòng rén nǐ yī yán 、 wǒ yī yǔ 。
众人你一言、我一语。
The group discussed among themselves.
zuì zhōng hái shì lǐ fán zuò le dìng lùn ：“ yōu àn zhī lì de fǎn huán ， bìng bú shì xiǎng de nà me jiǎn dān 。”
最终还是李凡做了定论：“幽暗之力的返还，并不是想的那么简单。”
In the end, Li Fan made the final decision: "Returning the power of darkness isn't as simple as we think."
“ rú guǒ zhǐ shì dān chún de xī shōu ， kǒng pà huì xiàng nà mò rú bīn yī yàng ， fǎn guò lái bèi qí qīn shí 。”
“如果只是单纯的吸收，恐怕会像那墨儒斌一样，反过来被其侵蚀。”
"If it's just a matter of absorbing it, we might end up like that scholar named Mo Ru Bin, being corrupted by it instead."
“ ér qiě yōu àn jué dì mù qián bèi wàn xiān méng suǒ zhǎng kòng ， xiǎng yào jìn rù yán jiū ……”
“而且幽暗绝地目前被万仙盟所掌控，想要进入研究……”
"Moreover, the Realm of Immortal Desolation is currently controlled by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. If we want to enter and study..."
“ nà biān pà shì bú huì yīng yǔn de 。”
“那边怕是不会应允的。”
"They probably won't agree."
liǔ rú chén dào ：“ shàng shǐ bú shì shuō ， wàn xiān méng yě shì tōng guò nà shén me 【 yōu zú 】 rén de yí shì ， cái dé yǐ jìn rù yōu àn jué dì me ？”
柳如尘道：“上使不是说，万仙盟也是通过那什么【幽族】人的仪式，才得以进入幽暗绝地么？”
Liu Ruchen said, "Didn't the High Envoy say that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance also entered the Realm of Immortal Desolation through some ritual performed by those... Dark Clan people?"
“ bù zhī dào shì fǒu hái jì de nà yí shì de jù tǐ nèi róng ？ ruò shì wǒ men mó fǎng ， huò xǔ yě néng tōu tōu qián rù qí zhōng 。”
“不知道是否还记得那仪式的具体内容？若是我们模仿，或许也能偷偷潜入其中。”
"Are you sure you remember the specifics of this ritual? If we mimic it, perhaps we can sneak in."
“ fǎn zhèng yōu àn jué dì nèi ， jìn shì qī hēi yī piàn 。 zhǐ yào wǒ men xiǎo xīn diǎn ， yě bú huì bèi duì fāng chá jué 。”
“反正幽暗绝地内，尽是漆黑一片。只要我们小心点，也不会被对方察觉。”
"As long as there's nothing but darkness inside the Realm of Immortal Desolation, and if we're careful enough, they won't notice us."
fāng zài jì wén yán ， lián shēng fù hè dào ：“ zōng zhǔ zhēn shì hǎo tí yì ！ jué duì kě yǐ shì yī shì ！”
方再济闻言，连声附和道：“宗主真是好提议！绝对可以试一试！”
Fang Zaize echoed in agreement. "The Master is right! We should definitely try!"
lǐ fán chén yín piàn kè ， biàn yòng shuǐ jìng shù fù yuán le nà pǒ yǒu xiē qí yì de yí shì huà miàn 。
李凡沉吟片刻，便用水镜术复原了那颇有些奇异的仪式画面。
Li Fan pondered for a moment before using the Water Mirror Technique to recreate that peculiar ritual scene.
bāo kuò yín chàng de yīn jié 、 shēng diào ， dōu wán měi huán yuán 。
包括吟唱的音节、声调，都完美还原。
He perfectly replicated the intonation and rhythm of the chant.
tiāo xuǎn chū le shí duō míng nián qīng xiū shì xué xí hòu ， bù chū suǒ liào de ， yí shì méi néng chéng gōng 。
挑选出了十多名年轻修士学习后，不出所料的，仪式没能成功。
After selecting over ten young cultivators, the ritual failed as expected.
“ hái zhēn de fēi nà shén me yōu zú rén bù kě ？” fāng zài jì àn mà yī shēng 。
“还真的非那什么幽族人不可？”方再济暗骂一声。
"Is it really necessary to be one of those Dark Clan people?" Fang Zaize cursed inwardly.
lián hé huì zhòng rén yě shì fēn fēn yáo tóu ， gǎn dào yǒu xiē kě xī 。
联合会众人也是纷纷摇头，感到有些可惜。
The others from the Alliance shook their heads in disappointment.
“ yōu zú rén me ……”
“幽族人么……”
"The Dark Clan...?"
xuán huáng jiè suǒ yǒu xiǎo shì jiè de jī chǔ xìn xī ， lǐ fán dōu yǐ jīng zhǎng wò 。
玄黄界所有小世界的基础信息，李凡都已经掌握。
Li Fan had already gathered all the basic information about each small world within the Xuanhuang Realm.
kě shì zhè qí zhōng bìng méi yǒu guān yú yōu zú rén de rèn hé xiāo xī ， yīng gāi shì wàn xiān méng jìn xíng le kè yì de yǐn mán 。
可是这其中并没有关于幽族人的任何消息，应该是万仙盟进行了刻意的隐瞒。
However, there was no mention of the Dark Clan. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance must have deliberately concealed this information.
“ wú fáng ， zhǐ yào yī yī pái chú guò qù jiù hǎo 。”
“无妨，只要一一排除过去就好。”
"It doesn't matter; we just need to eliminate one by one."
zài xún zhǎo xǔ kè de guò chéng zhōng ， yǐ jīng duì jué dà duō shù de xiǎo shì jiè jìn xíng guò chū bù de dǎ tàn le 。
在寻找许克的过程中，已经对绝大多数的小世界进行过初步的打探了。
During his search for Xu Ke, he had already probed most of these small worlds.
wán chéng shèng xià de ， bù xū zài fèi duō shǎo shí jiān 。
完成剩下的，不需再费多少时间。
The remaining few wouldn't take much time.
lǐ fán de yī shēng lìng xià ， wú shù bù qǐ yǎn de yì shòu ， cháo zhe gè gè xiǎo shì jiè rù kǒu fēng yōng ér qù 。
李凡的一声令下，无数不起眼的异兽，朝着各个小世界入口蜂拥而去。
Li Fan's command sent countless inconspicuous beasts towards the entrances of various small worlds.
jǐn jǐn bàn gè yuè hòu ， jiù yǒu le xiāo xī 。
仅仅半个月后，就有了消息。
Just half a month later, news came in.
zài bèi xiāo miè zhī qián ， chuán huí lái de zuì hòu yǐng xiàng zhōng ， fā xiàn le yí sì 【 yōu 】 zú rén de zōng jì 。
在被消灭之前，传回来的最后影像中，发现了疑似【幽】族人的踪迹。
Before they were exterminated, the last recorded image revealed traces of a Dark Clan person.
nà ge xiǎo shì jiè zhōng ， dìng rán yǒu wàn xiān méng de rén kān shǒu 。
那个小世界中，定然有万仙盟的人看守。
There must be Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance members guarding that small world.
lǐ fán qīn zì dài lǐng tiān yáng qián rù qí zhōng 。
李凡亲自带领天阳潜入其中。
Li Fan personally led Tianyang into it.
duì yú nà yōu àn zhī lì ， tā hái shì hěn gǎn xìng qù de 。
对于那幽暗之力，他还是很感兴趣的。
He was very interested in the power of darkness.
bù jǐn jǐn shì yīn wèi qí qiān shè dào tuō lí xiān xū de kě néng ， gèng shì yīn wèi tā guān yú suǒ wèi de 【 wán zhěng xìng 】。
不仅仅是因为其牵涉到脱离仙墟的可能，更是因为它关于所谓的【完整性】。
Not only because it might offer a way to escape the Xuanhuang Realm, but also due to its supposed "completeness."
duì yú mò rú bīn de yǔn luò ， lǐ fán qí shí xīn zhōng yì zhí huái yǒu yí lǜ 。
对于墨儒斌的陨落，李凡其实心中一直怀有疑虑。
Li Fan had always harbored doubts about Mo Ru Bin's demise.
nà guǐ jì duō duān 、 jǐ cì sān fān xì shuǎ yú tā de xuán tiān jiào fǎ wáng ， jìng rán jiù zhè me xī lǐ hú tú de sǐ zài le yōu àn zhī zhōng 。
那诡计多端、几次三番戏耍于他的玄天教法王，竟然就这么稀里糊涂的死在了幽暗之中。
That cunning and manipulative Dark Heaven Sect Vajra, who had tricked him time and again, ended up dying in the darkness without any clear reason.
zhè shí zài ràng lǐ fán yǒu xiē nán yǐ xiāng xìn 。
这实在让李凡有些难以相信。
This was hard for Li Fan to believe, especially regarding his reasons for entering the Realm of Immortal Desolation.
yóu qí shì tā huì jìn rù yōu àn jué dì de yuán yīn 。
尤其是他会进入幽暗绝地的原因。
Mo Ru Bin’s goal remained unchanged from start to finish: find the Dark Heaven Vajra and leave the darkest star sea.
mò rú bīn de mù dì ， yīng gāi cóng shǐ zhì zhōng dōu méi yǒu gǎi biàn 。
墨儒斌的目的，应该从始至终都没有改变。
Even if he failed to pass the illusion test set by the Great Xuanhuang Supreme Lord, he must have discovered something significant.
zhǎo dào xuán tiān wáng ， lí kāi zhì àn xīng hǎi 。
找到玄天王，离开至暗星海。
"Could it be that the Dark Heaven Vajra is hiding in the Realm of Immortal Desolation?"
jiù suàn tā méi yǒu tōng guò xuán huáng dà tiān zūn de huàn jìng kǎo yàn ， dìng rán yě cóng zhōng fā xiàn le shén me zhū sī mǎ jì 。
就算他没有通过玄黄大天尊的幻境考验，定然也从中发现了什么蛛丝马迹。
"Or perhaps his mysterious disappearance years ago was related to this power?"
“ nán bù chéng ， xuán tiān wáng jiù cáng zài yōu àn jué dì lǐ ？”
“难不成，玄天王就藏在幽暗绝地里？”
With these doubts in mind, Li Fan found the hidden Dark Clan people underground.
“ yì huò zhě ， tā dāng nián de mò míng xiāo shī ， yě gēn yōu àn zhī lì yǒu guān ？”
“亦或者，他当年的莫名消失，也跟幽暗之力有关？”
To his surprise, there were no Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance troops present in this small world.
dài zhe zhǒng zhǒng yí huò ， lǐ fán zhǎo dào le yǐn cáng zài dì xià de yōu zú rén 。
带着种种疑惑，李凡找到了隐藏在地下的幽族人。
The number of Dark Clan people here was also very small—only less than a hundred.
ràng lǐ fán yǒu xiē yì wài de shì ， zhè ge xiǎo shì jiè zhōng ， bìng méi yǒu wàn xiān méng de zhù jūn cún zài 。
让李凡有些意外的是，这个小世界中，并没有万仙盟的驻军存在。
Unlike those he had seen before, they didn't appear strong or healthy. They looked emaciated and seemed to be at risk of dying any moment.
zhè yī zhī yōu zú rén de shù liàng yě shí fēn xī shǎo ， zhǐ yǒu bú dào bǎi rén 。
这一只幽族人的数量也十分稀少，只有不到百人。
After probing around, Li Fan gradually understood the situation.
zú qún zhōng yě bù xiàng lǐ fán zhī qián jiàn dào de nà yàng ， qiáng zhuàng 、 jiàn kāng 。
族群中也不像李凡之前见到的那样，强壮、健康。
This Dark Clan group had fled from their original homeland in desperation.
gè gè gǔ shòu rú chái ， fǎng fú suí shí dū huì yǒu bào bì de fēng xiǎn 。
个个骨瘦如柴，仿佛随时都会有暴毙的风险。
They managed to escape the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's capture and found a place to hide here.
lǐ fán zài dǎ tàn le yī fān hòu ， yǐn yǐn míng bái guò lái 。
李凡在打探了一番后，隐隐明白过来。
"Better this way."
yǎn qián zhè ge yōu zú zú qún ， shì cóng tā men yuán běn de jiā xiāng táo mìng ér lái 。
眼前这个幽族族群，是从他们原本的家乡逃命而来。
Li Fan decided not to hesitate. With full force, he worked with Tianyang to suppress these Dark Clan people into his own Inner World.
wàn xiān méng zhuā bǔ yōu zú ， tā men pīn sǐ táo tuō ， bìng qiě zhǎo dào le zhè me yī chù cáng shēn zhī dì 。
万仙盟抓捕幽族，他们拼死逃脱，并且找到了这么一处藏身之地。
However, something unexpected happened.
“ rú cǐ gèng hǎo 。”
“如此更好。”
These seemingly ordinary Dark Clan people suddenly unleashed an extremely strange power.
lǐ fán bù zài yóu yù ， quán lì bào fā ， gēn tiān yáng pèi hé zhī xià ， jiù yào jiāng zhè qún yōu zú rén gēn zhèn yā jìn zì shēn dòng tiān zhōng 。
李凡不再犹豫，全力爆发，跟天阳配合之下，就要将这群幽族人跟镇压进自身洞天中。
The elders in the group remained calm despite the shock.
rán ér ， ràng lǐ fán yǒu xiē méi xiǎng dào de shì qíng fā shēng le 。
然而，让李凡有些没想到的事情发生了。
They chanted loudly, and a peculiar wave instantly enveloped everyone present.
miàn duì lǐ fán de xí jī ， zhè xiē kàn shàng qù sī háo méi yǒu chāo fán qì xī de yōu zú rén ， què bào fā chū le shí fēn guǐ jué de lì liàng 。
面对李凡的袭击，这些看上去丝毫没有超凡气息的幽族人，却爆发出了十分诡谲的力量。
Li Fan lost sight of them right before his eyes.
zú qún zhōng de lǎo zhě ， suī jīng bù luàn 。
族群中的老者，虽惊不乱。
It wasn't an illusion; their attacks had truly missed.
gāo shēng yín chàng zhe ， yī gǔ qí yì de bō dòng dùn shí lǒng zhào quán tǐ 。
高声吟唱着，一股奇异的波动顿时笼罩全体。
"Hmm? Interesting."
zài yǎn pí dǐ xià ， lǐ fán jìng rán shùn jiān shī qù le tā men de zōng jì 。
在眼皮底下，李凡竟然瞬间失去了他们的踪迹。
At that moment, Li Fan clearly felt the fluctuation of the power of darkness.
bìng bú shì shén me zhàng yǎn fǎ ， ér shì gōng jī zhēn de luò kōng le 。
并不是什么障眼法，而是攻击真的落空了。
"Run away, but you can't escape your temple."
“ ń ？ yǒu yì si 。”
“嗯？有意思。”
When entering this small world, he had already used a formation to seal off all exits.
zài nà yī kè ， lǐ fán shí fēn qīng xī de gǎn shòu dào le yōu àn zhī lì de bō dòng 。
在那一刻，李凡十分清晰的感受到了幽暗之力的波动。
No one could leave without his permission!
“ pǎo dé le hé shàng ， pǎo bù liǎo miào 。”
“跑得了和尚，跑不了庙。”
Li Fan's divine sense swept across the entire small world, but still, no Dark Clan people were found hiding.
zài jìn rù zhè ge xiǎo shì jiè zhī shí ， lǐ fán jiù yǐ jīng yòng zhèn fǎ jiāng chū rù kǒu gěi chè dǐ fēng suǒ le 。
在进入这个小世界之时，李凡就已经用阵法将出入口给彻底封锁了。
He decided to attack indiscriminately.
méi yǒu tā de yǔn xǔ ， shuí yě xiū xiǎng cóng zhè ge shì jiè zhōng lí kāi ！
没有他的允许，谁也休想从这个世界中离开！
Destructive black light descended from the sky and struck every inch of the land.
shén shí cháo zhe zhōu wéi héng sǎo ， zhǎo biàn le zhěng gè xiǎo shì jiè ， dōu yī rán méi yǒu zhǎo dào yǐn cáng qǐ lái de yōu zú rén 。
神识朝着周围横扫，找遍了整个小世界，都依然没有找到隐藏起来的幽族人。
Many lives were caught in its wake.
lǐ fán suǒ xìng wú chā bié de fā dòng gōng jī 。
李凡索性无差别的发动攻击。
But Li Fan remained unfazed. He thoroughly cleaned this small world.
chōng mǎn huǐ miè xìng lì liàng de hēi guāng ， cóng tiān ér jiāng ， hōng jī zài měi yī cùn dà dì zhī shàng 。
充满毁灭性力量的黑光，从天而将，轰击在每一寸大地之上。
Under such a wide-ranging and all-encompassing cleansing, the Dark Clan people finally revealed their weakness.
wú shù shēng mìng cǎn zāo bō jí 。
无数生命惨遭波及。
Noticing something seemed to be blocking his Five Elements Silent Annihilation Sword, Li Fan's eyes flashed with determination.
lǐ fán què miàn bù gǎi sè ， jiāng cǐ chù xiǎo shì jiè suǒ yǒu dì fāng dōu qīng lǐ le yī biàn 。
李凡却面不改色，将此处小世界所有地方都清理了一遍。
He immediately used a formation to seal off that area layer by layer.
zài zhè dà fàn wéi 、 wú sǐ jiǎo de xǐ dì zhī xià ， nà qún yōu zú rén zuì zhōng hái shì lù chū le pò zhàn 。
在这大范围、无死角的洗地之下，那群幽族人最终还是露出了破绽。
Forced out of hiding, the Dark Clan people emerged. They huddled together and looked up at Li Fan in the sky.
chá jué dào sì hū yǒu shén me dǐ dǎng le zì jǐ de dà wǔ xíng jì miè jiàn ， lǐ fán yǎn zhōng jīng guāng yī shǎn 。
察觉到似乎有什么抵挡了自己的大五行寂灭剑，李凡眼中精光一闪。
Their eyes showed both fear and hatred.
shùn jiān jiù yǐ zhèn fǎ jiāng nà chù qū yù céng céng fēng suǒ 。
瞬间就以阵法将那处区域层层封锁。
The elder finally couldn't hold back and spoke: "Why must you kill us all?"
bī pò zhī xià ， yōu zú rén zhōng yú xiàn chū shēn xíng 。
逼迫之下，幽族人终于现出身形。
"The original members you captured are enough for exploring this holy land."
tā men quán suō zài yì qǐ ， tái tóu kàn zhe tiān kōng zhōng de lǐ fán 。
他们蜷缩在一起，抬头看着天空中的李凡。
"I think there's a misunderstanding. I'm not from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. On the contrary, I share your enmity with them," Li Fan said loudly.
yǎn zhōng yǒu jīng jù ， yǒu chóu shì 。
眼中有惊惧，有仇视。
"Otherwise, how could such weak forces survive under my power?"
wéi shǒu de lǎo zhě cǐ shí zhōng yú rěn bú zhù chū shēng dào ：“ shàng xiān hé bì gǎn jìn shā jué ？”
为首的老者此时终于忍不住出声道：“上仙何必赶尽杀绝？”
After saying that, Li Fan immediately activated his Soul Burning Technique.
“ tàn suǒ shèng dì ， yuán xiān bèi nǐ men zhuā bǔ de zú rén shù liàng jué duì yǐ jīng gòu le 。”
“探索圣地，原先被你们抓捕的族人数量绝对已经够了。”
The five Inner Worlds glowed blood-red and appeared extremely bizarre.
“ wǒ xiǎng nǐ men shì wù huì le 。 wǒ bú shì wàn xiān méng de rén 。 xiāng fǎn ， wǒ gēn nǐ men yī yàng ， gēn wàn xiān méng yǒu zhe bù gòng dài tiān zhī chóu 。” lǐ fán lǎng shēng dào 。
“我想你们是误会了。我不是万仙盟的人。相反，我跟你们一样，跟万仙盟有着不共戴天之仇。”李凡朗声道。
With Tianyang's Immortal Puppet assisting, Li Fan's displayed strength was already comparable to a Longevity Realm cultivator.
“ fǒu zé ， jiù píng nǐ men de wēi bó shí lì ， yě néng zài wǒ shǒu xià cún huó ？”
“否则，就凭你们的微薄实力，也能在我手下存活？”
Black spatial cracks began appearing in the small world as it struggled to contain him.
shuō bà ， lǐ fán dùn shí quán lì yùn zhuàn qǐ le rán hún zhī fǎ 。
说罢，李凡顿时全力运转起了燃魂之法。
The天地 trembled, gradually disintegrating.
wǔ dà dòng tiān ， zài xuè sè de zhào yìng xià ， yāo yì wú bǐ 。
五大洞天，在血色的照映下，妖异无比。
Just his aura alone caused an apocalyptic scene.
zài jiā shàng tiān yáng xiān guī de jiā chí ， cǐ shí lǐ fán suǒ biǎo xiàn chū lái de shí lì ， yǐ jīng kě yǐ gēn cháng shēng jìng xiū shì xiāng pì měi 。
在加上天阳仙傀的加持，此时李凡所表现出来的实力，已经可以跟长生境修士相媲美。
This terrified the Dark Clan people below.
shēn chù de xiǎo shì jiè dōu yīn wèi wú fǎ róng nà ， ér chū xiàn dào dào hēi sè kōng jiān liè wén 。
身处的小世界都因为无法容纳，而出现道道黑色空间裂纹。
"I want to take advantage of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's exploration of your holy land and secretly eliminate them."
tiān dì zài chàn dǒu zhōng ， zhú jiàn fēn bēng lí xī 。
天地在颤抖中，逐渐分崩离析。
"Are you willing to help me?"
jǐn jǐn shì sàn fà chū de qì xī ， jiù yǐ jīng dǎo zhì le mò shì yì bān de chǎng jǐng 。
仅仅是散发出的气息，就已经导致了末世一般的场景。
Li Fan asked coldly.
zhè ràng xià fāng de yōu zú rén huáng kǒng zhì jí 。
这让下方的幽族人惶恐至极。
There was no other choice. With their hatred for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, the Dark Clan people quickly submitted.
“ wàn xiān méng rú jīn zhèng tàn suǒ nǐ men de shèng dì ， wǒ yù chèn jī àn zhōng jū shā tā men 。”
“万仙盟如今正探索你们的圣地，我欲趁机暗中狙杀他们。”
When they were brought back to the Spirit Wood Realm to pay respects to Faceless True Immortal as usual,
“ nǐ men kě yuàn yì zhù běn zūn yī bì zhī lì ？”
“你们可愿意助本尊一臂之力？”
these Dark Clan people suddenly appeared terrified and collapsed in fear, trembling uncontrollably.
"Are you saying I've become dull?"百花道人 stared at the Ingenious Master with a puzzled expression.
"I should... probably..."
Before Ingenious Master could finish, Flower Hundred said, "Actually, compared to when we first met, there hasn't been any significant change in me. Could it be your own reasons?"
Ingenious Master fell silent upon hearing this.
"Guessing too much is pointless. Why not try it yourself?" Fang Zaize's eyes sparkled with eagerness.
The group discussed among themselves.
In the end, Li Fan made the final decision: "Returning the power of darkness isn't as simple as we think."
"If it's just a matter of absorbing it, we might end up like that scholar named Mo Ru Bin, being corrupted by it instead."
"Moreover, the Realm of Immortal Desolation is currently controlled by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. If we want to enter and study..."
"They probably won't agree."
Liu Ruchen said, "Didn't the High Envoy say that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance also entered the Realm of Immortal Desolation through some ritual performed by those... Dark Clan people?"
"Are you sure you remember the specifics of this ritual? If we mimic it, perhaps we can sneak in."
"As long as there's nothing but darkness inside the Realm of Immortal Desolation, and if we're careful enough, they won't notice us."
Fang Zaize echoed in agreement. "The Master is right! We should definitely try!"
Li Fan pondered for a moment before using the Water Mirror Technique to recreate that peculiar ritual scene.
He perfectly replicated the intonation and rhythm of the chant.
After selecting over ten young cultivators, the ritual failed as expected.
"Is it really necessary to be one of those Dark Clan people?" Fang Zaize cursed inwardly.
The others from the Alliance shook their heads in disappointment.
"The Dark Clan...?"
Li Fan had already gathered all the basic information about each small world within the Xuanhuang Realm.
However, there was no mention of the Dark Clan. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance must have deliberately concealed this information.
"It doesn't matter; we just need to eliminate one by one."
During his search for Xu Ke, he had already probed most of these small worlds.
The remaining few wouldn't take much time.
Li Fan's command sent countless inconspicuous beasts towards the entrances of various small worlds.
Just half a month later, news came in.
Before they were exterminated, the last recorded image revealed traces of a Dark Clan person.
There must be Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance members guarding that small world.
Li Fan personally led Tianyang into it.
He was very interested in the power of darkness.
Not only because it might offer a way to escape the Xuanhuang Realm, but also due to its supposed "completeness."
Li Fan had always harbored doubts about Mo Ru Bin's demise.
That cunning and manipulative Dark Heaven Sect Vajra, who had tricked him time and again, ended up dying in the darkness without any clear reason.
This was hard for Li Fan to believe, especially regarding his reasons for entering the Realm of Immortal Desolation.
Mo Ru Bin’s goal remained unchanged from start to finish: find the Dark Heaven Vajra and leave the darkest star sea.
Even if he failed to pass the illusion test set by the Great Xuanhuang Supreme Lord, he must have discovered something significant.
"Could it be that the Dark Heaven Vajra is hiding in the Realm of Immortal Desolation?"
"Or perhaps his mysterious disappearance years ago was related to this power?"
With these doubts in mind, Li Fan found the hidden Dark Clan people underground.
To his surprise, there were no Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance troops present in this small world.
The number of Dark Clan people here was also very small—only less than a hundred.
Unlike those he had seen before, they didn't appear strong or healthy. They looked emaciated and seemed to be at risk of dying any moment.
After probing around, Li Fan gradually understood the situation.
This Dark Clan group had fled from their original homeland in desperation.
They managed to escape the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's capture and found a place to hide here.
"Better this way."
Li Fan decided not to hesitate. With full force, he worked with Tianyang to suppress these Dark Clan people into his own Inner World.
However, something unexpected happened.
These seemingly ordinary Dark Clan people suddenly unleashed an extremely strange power.
The elders in the group remained calm despite the shock.
They chanted loudly, and a peculiar wave instantly enveloped everyone present.
Li Fan lost sight of them right before his eyes.
It wasn't an illusion; their attacks had truly missed.
"Hmm? Interesting."
At that moment, Li Fan clearly felt the fluctuation of the power of darkness.
"Run away, but you can't escape your temple."
When entering this small world, he had already used a formation to seal off all exits.
No one could leave without his permission!
Li Fan's divine sense swept across the entire small world, but still, no Dark Clan people were found hiding.
He decided to attack indiscriminately.
Destructive black light descended from the sky and struck every inch of the land.
Many lives were caught in its wake.
But Li Fan remained unfazed. He thoroughly cleaned this small world.
Under such a wide-ranging and all-encompassing cleansing, the Dark Clan people finally revealed their weakness.
Noticing something seemed to be blocking his Five Elements Silent Annihilation Sword, Li Fan's eyes flashed with determination.
He immediately used a formation to seal off that area layer by layer.
Forced out of hiding, the Dark Clan people emerged. They huddled together and looked up at Li Fan in the sky.
Their eyes showed both fear and hatred.
The elder finally couldn't hold back and spoke: "Why must you kill us all?"
"The original members you captured are enough for exploring this holy land."
"I think there's a misunderstanding. I'm not from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. On the contrary, I share your enmity with them," Li Fan said loudly.
"Otherwise, how could such weak forces survive under my power?"
After saying that, Li Fan immediately activated his Soul Burning Technique.
The five Inner Worlds glowed blood-red and appeared extremely bizarre.
With Tianyang's Immortal Puppet assisting, Li Fan's displayed strength was already comparable to a Longevity Realm cultivator.
Black spatial cracks began appearing in the small world as it struggled to contain him.
The天地 trembled, gradually disintegrating.
Just his aura alone caused an apocalyptic scene.
This terrified the Dark Clan people below.
"I want to take advantage of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's exploration of your holy land and secretly eliminate them."
"Are you willing to help me?"
Li Fan asked coldly.
There was no other choice. With their hatred for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, the Dark Clan people quickly submitted.
When they were brought back to the Spirit Wood Realm to pay respects to Faceless True Immortal as usual,
these Dark Clan people suddenly appeared terrified and collapsed in fear, trembling uncontrollably.