yǐ zhū tiān dà dào wèi ròu shēn 。
以诸天大道为肉身。
With his physical strength rapidly improving, Li Fan found it hard to pull himself away.
jí biàn shì lǐ fán ， yě shí zài nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng zhè shì yī zhǒng hé děng qiáng hàn de jìng jiè 。
即便是李凡，也实在难以想象这是一种何等强悍的境界。
Only when Nan Gong Hongzhao came to inquire did he snap out of it.
xiàn shì chēng wú míng zhēn xiān zhě ， yě bù guò shì yǐ tiān dì jiān wú shù dà dào zhōng de mǒu yī tiáo zhèng dào 。
现世称无名真仙者，也不过是以天地间无数大道中的某一条证道。
"Brother Ma, how's your cultivation going?"
ruò shì zhè lǐ fán cāi cè de jìng jiè dàng zhēn cún zài ， nà me wú míng zhēn xiān yǔ qí xiāng bǐ ， yě shì lóu yǐ gēn jù xiàng jiān de tiān chà dì bié 。
若是这李凡猜测的境界当真存在，那么无名真仙与其相比，也是蝼蚁跟具象间的天差地别。
"Just starting out, this technique is indeed extraordinary but also quite challenging," Li Fan said weakly after a pale-faced cough.
“ cǐ yǐ lì zhèng dào zhě ， héng dù kě néng xìng ， yě zhǐ rú jiǎo kuà xī shuǐ bān róng yì ……”
“此以力证道者，横渡可能性，也只如脚跨溪水般容易……”
Nan Gong Hongzhao observed that Li Fan’s complexion was unstable and seemed to have been recently subjected to significant force. He immediately expressed concern: "There’s no need for haste. The investigation into the Xuan Cang case is ongoing, so our vacation won’t end until we have a definitive conclusion."
lǐ fán zhè bān xiǎng zhe ， nǎo hǎi lǐ què shì hū de fú xiàn le ， shàng yī shì hēi tiān yī huò rán jiān zì tiān wài ér lái 、 chōng pò shù dào gāo qiáng ， tū wù jiàng lín de chǎng miàn 。
李凡这般想着，脑海里却是忽的浮现了，上一世黑天医霍然间自天外而来、冲破数道高墙，突兀降临的场面。
"Really? It's been so long, yet the Divine Hunt hasn't uncovered anything?" Li Fan was surprised.
“ hēi tiān yī 、 xié sū bái ， huò xǔ jiù shì cǐ děng jìng jiè 。”
“黑天医、邪苏白，或许就是此等境界。”
Nan Gong Hongzhao lowered his voice and sneered: "If we put in all our efforts, there would be no problem. However, someone is interfering. All of Yan Xuantai’s records within the Dao Web have mysteriously vanished before the investigation even began. Only those with such capabilities..."
“ bù guò ， tā men yīng gāi zǒu de bú shì ròu shēn chéng shèng zhè tiáo lù ， ér shì tōng guò bù duàn liè shā qí tā kě néng xìng zhōng de zì jǐ 、 shǐ dān yī dào tú tū pò jí xiàn ， zēng qiáng jǐ shēn 。”
“不过，他们应该走的不是肉身成圣这条路，而是通过不断猎杀其他可能性中的自己、使单一道途突破极限，增强己身。”
Nan Gong Hongzhao paused for a moment.
“ shǐ dān yī dào tú ， dǐ de shàng qí tā suǒ yǒu dà dào zǒng hé 。 gēn ròu shēn wàn fǎ guī yī ， shí zé shū tú tóng guī 。”
“使单一道途，抵得上其他所有大道总和。跟肉身万法归一，实则殊途同归。”
"More intriguingly, the World-Passing Xuan Cang, which was used to capture us, has been analyzed. It is said that the Xuan Cang at the scene of the accident indeed served as the Divine Bait planned by the Divine Hunt."
“ zhǐ shì shí zài nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng ， tā men jiū jìng tú lù le duō shǎo zì jǐ ……”
“只是实在难以想象，他们究竟屠戮了多少自己……”
"The problem lies in the process of forging the bait."
lǐ fán wēi wēi lèng shén ， xīn zhōng gèng shì yǐn yǐn fā hán 。
李凡微微愣神，心中更是隐隐发寒。
"What should have been just a lure turned into a means for world-passing. The most critical point is the person responsible for forging this casket," Li Fan said, his eyes flashing.
bù guò zhè sī xù què shì yī shǎn ér guò ， hěn kuài jiù yǐn yú nèi xīn shēn chù 。 zhù yì lì yòu huí dào zhè mén 【 dà dào lín shēn gōng 】 shàng 。
不过这思绪却是一闪而过，很快就隐于内心深处。注意力又回到这门【大道临身功】上。
Seeing Nan Gong Hongzhao suddenly stop talking, he asked: "What happened?"
lǐ fán de tuī yǎn 、 cāi cè gù rán méi cuò ， dàn yě zhǐ shì chún zài yú lǐ lùn zhōng de lǐ xiǎng zhuàng tài 。
李凡的推衍、猜测固然没错，但也只是纯在于理论中的理想状态。
"He’s dead."
“ ruò shì yù jiāng cǐ fǎ xiū xíng zhì wán měi ， shǒu xiān xū jiāng xīn niàn huà shén bù duàn tí shēng ， zhí zhì néng jiāng suǒ yǒu tiān dì jiān suǒ yǒu dà dào tóng shí yìng zhào 。 zhī cǐ yī bù ， jiù jī hū shì bù kě néng zhī shì 。”
“若是欲将此法修行至完美，首先需将心念化神不断提升，直至能将所有天地间所有大道同时映照。只此一步，就几乎是不可能之事。”
"Ah?" Li Fan instantly showed a look of shock.
“ ruò shì zhēn néng dá dào rú cǐ jìng jiè ， yǐ rán shì wú dí chén shì jiān le 。 yòu hé bì zài zhuī xún shén me ròu shēn chéng shèng ne ？”
“若是真能达到如此境界，已然是无敌尘世间了。又何必再追寻什么肉身成圣呢？”
"It wasn’t recent; after creating nine lures, he disappeared from the world. These nine Xuan Cangs have helped the Divine Hunt split the heavens countless times without any mishaps, which is why I was so confident before..."
“ hái shì nà jù huà ， shě jìn qiú yuǎn a 。”
“还是那句话，舍近求远啊。”
"And this time’s Xuan Cang has also been used as a lure multiple times but never resulted in anyone escaping," Li Fan said, rubbing his forehead.
yīn wèi jù lí tuī yǎn zhōng de jìng jiè hái shì tài yuǎn ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng zì shì nán miǎn yǒu zhū duō yí huò 。
因为距离推衍中的境界还是太远，李凡心中自是难免有诸多疑惑。
The more Nan Gong Hongzhao spoke, the more complex it seemed. "Beyond the forger of the Xuan Cang, there might be involvement from high-ranking forces within the Affairs Council. After all, who can alter information within the Dao Web..."
dàn zhèng gēn xīn niàn huà shén yī yàng ， zhè dà dào lín shēn gōng de chuí liàn ròu shēn zhī fǎ ， duì lǐ fán xiàn zài de shí lì yǒu zhe shí dǎ shí de tí shēng 。
但正跟心念化神一样，这大道临身功的锤炼肉身之法，对李凡现在的实力有着实打实的提升。
Nan Gong Hongzhao shook his head: "No wonder we couldn’t find any leads after so long."
gù ér lǐ fán yě bú huì qì ér bù yòng 。
故而李凡也不会弃而不用。
"But... I have an idea," he said.
yǐ hòu yǒu wèn tí ， nà jiù yǐ hòu zài shuō 。
以后有问题，那就以后再说。
Nan Gong Hongzhao paused and then said: "There are only you and me here. Brother Ma, feel free to speak your mind."
fǎn zhèng tā yǒu zhe ， néng gòu suí shí zhòng lái de zī běn 。
反正他有着，能够随时重来的资本。
"Let’s simplify this. The World-Passing Xuan Cang is used for escaping to other possibilities. Why would Yan Xuantai, who has been in our Starlight Sea for so long, suddenly take such great risks to escape?"
“ xīn niàn yìng zhào dà dào ， chēng zhī wèi xīn niàn huà shén 。 ròu shēn róng nà dà dào ， qǐ bù shì jiù shì mǒu zhǒng yì yì shàng de ròu shēn yuán yīng le 。”
“心念映照大道，称之为心念化神。肉身容纳大道，岂不是就是某种意义上的肉身元婴了。”
"Yan Xuantai is a Saint Merchant. His disappearance was mysterious; I heard they recovered many lost treasures before vanishing. Could he have learned something from the Saints that led him to flee?"
“ kàn lái wǒ zhè xīn xīn fǎ ， bù jǐn xū yào nì liàn ， hái xū yào tóng shí xiū xíng gè bù tóng de jìng jiè 。”
“看来我这新新法，不仅需要逆练，还需要同时修行各不同的境界。”
"You mean..." Nan Gong Hongzhao stared at Li Fan.
“ zhū jìng jiè tóng shí yuán mǎn zhì jí ， huò xǔ néng gòu yī kuī zhēn zhèng de 【 yǐ wǒ zhù jī 】！”
“诸境界同时圆满至极，或许能够一窥真正的【以我筑基】！”
"Yes, I suspect a great calamity will soon befall our Starlight Sea," Li Fan said softly.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng àn zì yáo tóu 。
李凡心中暗自摇头。
"Brother Ma, don’t speak recklessly!" Nan Gong Hongzhao interrupted sharply before he could finish his sentence.
tā gǎn kěn dìng ， wú lùn shì yīn shàng rén 、 yì huò zhě shèng huáng 、 sū bái ， suǒ yǒu zhè xiē duì wán shàn xīn xīn fǎ yǒu gòng xiàn de rén ， dìng rán quán dōu bù céng xiǎng dào guò ， xīn xīn fǎ hái cún zài zhè yàng de xiū xíng fāng shì 。
他敢肯定，无论是殷上人、亦或者圣皇、苏白，所有这些对完善新新法有贡献的人，定然全都不曾想到过，新新法还存在这样的修行方式。
However, the logic behind Li Fan’s reasoning was sound. As Nan Gong Hongzhao pondered more, it seemed like this might indeed be the truth hidden beneath the chaos. He seemed to have realized something as his expression changed several times within a breath.
zhī suǒ yǐ huì chū xiàn lǐ fán zhè yàng guài yì de qíng xíng ， zhǐ yīn lǐ fán shēn huái wèi gé wú xiàn gāo de 【 hái zhēn 】 zhì bǎo 。
之所以会出现李凡这样怪异的情形，只因李凡身怀位格无限高的【还真】至宝。
"Brother Ma, I’ll just share your thoughts with me. Don’t say anything else. If things go wrong, I can’t help you," Nan Gong Hongzhao said before leaving hurriedly.
“ hái zhēn chāo yuè tiān dì dà dào 。 yòng jù sú huà jiǎng ， jiù shì tiào chū sān jiè zhī wài 、 bù zài wǔ xíng zhī zhōng 。”
“还真超越天地大道。用句俗话讲，就是跳出三界之外、不再五行之中。”
He left behind a scroll containing the Nan Gong family’s records of their cultivation experiences and insights on the Dao Body Technique, but only at the basic stage of understanding and reflecting upon the Dao.
“ gù ér wǒ zhù jī zhī nán ， gèng zài míng dào zhī shàng 。 suǒ yǐ yào fǎn qí dào ér xíng zhī 。 zhì yú qí tā rén me ……”
“故而我筑基之难，更在鸣道之上。所以要反其道而行之。至于其他人么……”
It seemed that Nan Gong Hongzhao was using this as bait to increase his favor with "Ma Tian De."
cóng lǐ fán gēn shuò xīng hǎi zhōng qí tā rén ， tóng shí xiū xíng 【 dà dào lín shēn gōng 】 zhī jiān de chā jù ， mǒu zhǒng chéng dù shàng jiù néng shuō míng shén me 。
从李凡跟朔星海中其他人，同时修行【大道临身功】之间的差距，某种程度上就能说明什么。
Li Fan glanced over it briefly before setting it aside.
nǎo hǎi zhōng sī xù wàn qiān ， lǐ fán zhè jù shēn qū zé shì màn màn jiāng ， yú zì shēn wēi xíng dào wǎng zhōng bù duàn chuí liàn ér chǎn shēng de shú xī gǎn ， wán quán dài dào le shuò xīng hǎi dào wǎng zhī zhōng 。
脑海中思绪万千，李凡这具身躯则是慢慢将，于自身微型道网中不断锤炼而产生的熟悉感，完全带到了朔星海道网之中。
"Is there an inside man in our Starlight Sea? Interesting."
rú yú dé shuǐ ， rú niǎo fēi tiān 。
如鱼得水，如鸟飞天。
Based on current information, the actual power holders of the Starlight Sea were likely the True Immortals who had undergone the transformation.
lǐ fán shèn zhì yǐn yǐn yǒu zhǒng ， huí dào le zì jǐ shú xī wú bǐ de xuán huáng jiè de gǎn jué 。
李凡甚至隐隐有种，回到了自己熟悉无比的玄黄界的感觉。
The common folk merely served as puppets under their control.
“ miào jí 。 miào jí a 。”
“妙极。妙极啊。”
"But why would True Immortals allow mere mortals to serve as face?" Li Fan suddenly thought about theinvisible hand behind the Dao Web and the four nameless True Immortals used as stakes.
bìng qiě ， yóu yú zhè zhǒng shú xī xìng ， lǐ fán yě hái néng suí xīn suǒ yù de wěi zhuāng zì jǐ 。 bù zhì yú bào lù zhēn shí de liàn tǐ jìn dù 。
并且，由于这种熟悉性，李凡也还能随心所欲的伪装自己。不至于暴露真实的炼体进度。
"The struggle between those who have undergone transformation, former True Immortals, and current True Immortals."
“ wǒ cǎi yòng de ， wán quán shì sǐ gōng fu 、 bèn fāng fǎ 。 ruò shì zài dù cān kǎo 【 zào huà hóng lú gōng 】……”
“我采用的，完全是死功夫、笨方法。若是再度参考【造化洪炉功】……”
"However, in this battlefield, a traitor has appeared."
shén niàn zhōng ， běn zūn chuán lái de zào huà gōng ， yī zì yī jù fú xiàn 。
神念中，本尊传来的造化功，一字一句浮现。
"He’s not fleeing to either side but to other possibilities outside of them."
lǐ fán shēn xī yì kǒu qì ， quán shēn qì xuè 、 shà shí wǎn ruò fèi téng bān ， bù duàn fān yǒng 。
李凡深吸一口气，全身气血、霎时宛若沸腾般，不断翻涌。
According to Nan Gong Hongzhao's words, the survivors of the Great Calamity under the Dao Submersion were still terrified. The strongest among them had long fled.
shēn qū hǎo sì huà zuò le yī zuò dǐng tiān lì dì de páng dà róng lú ， róng liàn zhe hún shēn de qì xī 、 xuè ròu 。
身躯好似化作了一座顶天立地的庞大熔炉，熔炼着浑身的气息、血肉。
Li Fan believed that these remaining individuals, even if they claimed to be True Immortals, must still harbor fear.
xīn zhōng wēi dòng ， zhè zuò róng lú hǎo sì zuò luò yú le xū huàn de dà dào zhī wǎng shàng 。
心中微动，这座熔炉好似坐落于了虚幻的大道之网上。
However, the false prosperity created by the Dao Web over thousands of years had deceived them into believing they could resist the Dao Submersion with it.
qí zhōng yī tiáo dào xián ， hū de shǎn guò cì yǎn de bái guāng 。 ér hòu dào wǎng zhèn chàn ， dào xián zhī lì ， huà zuò yī bǐng jù chuí ， hōng rán zá zài jù dà róng lú zhī shàng 。
其中一条道弦，忽的闪过刺眼的白光。而后道网震颤，道弦之力，化作一柄巨锤，轰然砸在巨大熔炉之上。
But the Saint Merchants and Yan Xuantai’s risky escape might awaken them from their illusions.
róng lú hōng míng páo xiāo bù zhǐ 。
熔炉轰鸣咆哮不止。
"Interesting."
wài biǎo bèi zá de liú xià le wēi ruò de yìn hén ， nèi lǐ què jiè zhù zhè gǔ jù lì ， jiāng róng liàn xuè ròu de jìn chéng měng dì jiā kuài le shù bèi 。
外表被砸的留下了微弱的印痕，内里却借助这股巨力，将熔炼血肉的进程猛地加快了数倍。
"There are no permanent enemies in this world. Perhaps our Starlight Sea can once again cooperate with those True Immortals."
“ dīng ！ dīng ！ dīng ！”
“叮！叮！叮！”
"After all, one of the nine Xuan Cangs can pass through worlds. Who knows if others can’t as well?"
dào wǎng zhī shàng ， xuān huī shēng bù xiū bù zhǐ 。 bìng qiě yǐ yī zhǒng jí qí huǎn màn de sù dù ， zài suō duǎn xiǎng qǐ de jiàn gé 。
道网之上，喧豗声不休不止。并且以一种极其缓慢的速度，在缩短响起的间隔。
Another month passed.
ér xiàn shí zhōng de lǐ fán ， miàn sè ròu yǎn kě jiàn chū xiàn le sī sī de hóng yùn 。
而现实中的李凡，面色肉眼可见出现了丝丝的红晕。
The new Divine Hunt’s vacation finally ended, and Li Fan and his companions were summoned for a reprimand by the robust man who had previously carried the giant pillar.
jiù hǎo sì shòu le zhòng shāng yì bān 。
就好似受了重伤一般。
He harshly scolded them: "Regardless of the reason, such a significant error in your first mission is incompetence. Therefore, you must make amends."
ér hòu zhè lǚ hóng yùn hěn kuài jiù huà zuò qīng sè ， ér hòu cǎn bái 。 jì ér yòu biàn chéng xuè hóng zhī sè 。
而后这缕红晕很快就化作青色，而后惨白。继而又变成血红之色。
"Again, hunt down True Immortals!"
rú cǐ xún huán ， bù duàn wǎng fù 。 shèn zhì guài yì 。
如此循环，不断往复。甚至怪异。
"This time, I will join you," he said.
“ dà dào lín shēn gōng ， zào huà hóng lú gōng 。 cǐ èr zhě kě wèi xiāng fǔ xiāng chéng 。”
“大道临身功，造化洪炉功。此二者可谓相辅相成。”
"The target is our old adversary from previous hunts who has managed to escape several times. This time..."
“ zào huà hóng lú ， yǐ zì shēn wèi róng lú ， kāi fā rén tǐ nèi yī qiè mì cáng 、 qián lì 。 yī bù yī gè jiǎo yìn ， měi róng liàn yī cì ， shí lì jiù gèng qiáng dà yī fēn 。 quē diǎn jiù shì màn 。”
“造化洪炉，以自身为熔炉，开发人体内一切密藏、潜力。一步一个脚印，每熔炼一次，实力就更强大一分。缺点就是慢。”
"Hmph," the robust man sneered with a hint of malice in his eyes.
“ ér dà dào lín shēn gōng ， zé shì jiè zhù zhū tiān dà dào ， chuí liàn 、 bǔ zú zì shēn 。 dà dào jǐn guī jǐ shēn ， ròu shēn jí kě chéng shèng 。 quē diǎn jiù shì nán 、 wú bǐ de xiōng xiǎn 。”
“而大道临身功，则是借助诸天大道，锤炼、补足自身。大道尽归己身，肉身即可成圣。缺点就是难、无比的凶险。”
"Senior Qian, may we know this target?" Dao Yuan was the first to ask.
“ cǐ èr zhě hé yī ， yǐ dà dào jù lì ， qiāo dòng zào huà hóng lú 。 bǐ qǐ wǒ zhī qián dān chún de xuè ròu pò suì 、 chōng zú ， xiào lǜ hé zhǐ gāo le bǎi bèi ！”
“此二者合一，以大道巨力，敲动造化洪炉。比起我之前单纯的血肉破碎、充足，效率何止高了百倍！”
Clearly familiar with the robust man, he had already called out his surname before being introduced.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng guān xiǎng ， zào huà hóng lú biǎo miàn nà tū xiǎn de qiǎn qiǎn yìn jì 。 zhèng shì dà dào suǒ liú zhī yìn 。
李凡心中观想，造化洪炉表面那凸显的浅浅印记。正是大道所留之印。
"This Dao technique can sever all connections to the outside world, making it extremely difficult to track. Even when wandering through the Dao Web, no trace is left behind. We don’t know its true nature and only refer to it as 'None.'"
zhī qián xū yào xuè ròu zài zhòng yào xià pò suì chóng zǔ shù shí wàn biàn ， fāng néng liú xià chéng dù chà bu duō de yìn jì 。 rán ér xiàn zài ， yú zào huà gōng de cuī dòng xià ， bù guò shùn xī zhī jiān 。
之前需要血肉在重要下破碎重组数十万遍，方能留下程度差不多的印记。然而现在，于造化功的催动下，不过瞬息之间。
"Relying on the uniqueness of their path, this True Immortal frequently infiltrates our Starlight Sea. Our previous hunts were thwarted by this True Immortal, so we finally decided to capture them!" the robust man said sternly.
dào wǎng hōng míng ， zào huà hóng lú shàng ， wàn qiān dào hén xiǎn xiàn 。
道网轰鸣，造化洪炉上，万千道痕显现。
"Such a difficult task for us?" Dao Yuan was taken aback.
lǐ fán hū xī jiān ， zhè jù shēn qū de ròu shēn qiáng dù ， biàn yǐ qiān bǎi bèi de sù dù zài bù duàn biàn qiáng 。
李凡呼吸间，这具身躯的肉身强度，便以千百倍的速度在不断变强。
Not just Dao Yuan, but all the new Divine Hunters shared his surprise.
bìng qiě cóng shǐ zhì zhōng ， lǐ fán dōu méi yǒu gǎn shòu dào rèn hé de jī è gǎn 。 sì hū rén tǐ nèi ， zhēn de jiù yǒu wú qióng de lì liàng yuán quán bǔ zú yì bān 。
并且从始至终，李凡都没有感受到任何的饥饿感。似乎人体内，真的就有无穷的力量源泉补足一般。
"Don’t worry; because you are newcomers and unknown to 'None,' you have more chances. You only need to follow my commands and execute the Dao Web’s instructions. This 'None' will be like a fish in a barrel!" the robust man said with great confidence.
lǐ fán chén jìn zài ròu shēn shí lì de tū fēi měng jìn zhōng ， jī hū nán yǐ zì bá 。
李凡沉浸在肉身实力的突飞猛进中，几乎难以自拔。
Li Fan and the others nodded in agreement, their eyes inadvertently glancing at Nan Gong Hongzhao who seemed distracted.
zhí dào nán gōng hóng zhào qián lái tàn wàng 。
直到南宫弘照前来探望。
However, Li Fan was more concerned about this hunt's target.
“ mǎ xiōng dì ， nǐ xiū xíng de rú hé le ？”
“马兄弟，你修行的如何了？”
"Severing all connections to the outside world?"
“ gāng gāng rù mén ， cǐ gōng dí què fēi fán 。 dàn yě zhe shí nán liàn 。” lǐ fán miàn sè cāng bái ， qīng qīng ké le shēng ， yǒu xiē xū ruò de shuō dào 。
“刚刚入门，此功的确非凡。但也着实难练。”李凡面色苍白，轻轻咳了声，有些虚弱的说道。
For some reason, an impudent laugh echoed in his ears.
nán gōng hóng zhào kàn lǐ fán qì xuè bù wěn ， sì hū gāng bèi jù lì chōng jī guò 、 shòu le bù qīng de shāng 。 lián máng guān xīn dào ：“ bù bì cāo zhī guò jí 。 xuán guān àn ， hái zài diào chá zhī zhōng 。 méi yǒu chè dǐ dìng lùn zhī qián ， wǒ men de jià qī shì bú huì jié shù de 。”
南宫弘照看李凡气血不稳，似乎刚被巨力冲击过、受了不轻的伤。连忙关心道：“不必操之过急。玄棺案，还在调查之中。没有彻底定论之前，我们的假期是不会结束的。”
"What does it have to do with me! What does it have to do with me!"
With his physical strength rapidly improving, Li Fan found it hard to pull himself away.
Only when Nan Gong Hongzhao came to inquire did he snap out of it.
"Brother Ma, how's your cultivation going?"
"Just starting out, this technique is indeed extraordinary but also quite challenging," Li Fan said weakly after a pale-faced cough.
Nan Gong Hongzhao observed that Li Fan’s complexion was unstable and seemed to have been recently subjected to significant force. He immediately expressed concern: "There’s no need for haste. The investigation into the Xuan Cang case is ongoing, so our vacation won’t end until we have a definitive conclusion."
"Really? It's been so long, yet the Divine Hunt hasn't uncovered anything?" Li Fan was surprised.
Nan Gong Hongzhao lowered his voice and sneered: "If we put in all our efforts, there would be no problem. However, someone is interfering. All of Yan Xuantai’s records within the Dao Web have mysteriously vanished before the investigation even began. Only those with such capabilities..."
Nan Gong Hongzhao paused for a moment.
"More intriguingly, the World-Passing Xuan Cang, which was used to capture us, has been analyzed. It is said that the Xuan Cang at the scene of the accident indeed served as the Divine Bait planned by the Divine Hunt."
"The problem lies in the process of forging the bait."
"What should have been just a lure turned into a means for world-passing. The most critical point is the person responsible for forging this casket," Li Fan said, his eyes flashing.
Seeing Nan Gong Hongzhao suddenly stop talking, he asked: "What happened?"
"He’s dead."
"Ah?" Li Fan instantly showed a look of shock.
"It wasn’t recent; after creating nine lures, he disappeared from the world. These nine Xuan Cangs have helped the Divine Hunt split the heavens countless times without any mishaps, which is why I was so confident before..."
"And this time’s Xuan Cang has also been used as a lure multiple times but never resulted in anyone escaping," Li Fan said, rubbing his forehead.
The more Nan Gong Hongzhao spoke, the more complex it seemed. "Beyond the forger of the Xuan Cang, there might be involvement from high-ranking forces within the Affairs Council. After all, who can alter information within the Dao Web..."
Nan Gong Hongzhao shook his head: "No wonder we couldn’t find any leads after so long."
"But... I have an idea," he said.
Nan Gong Hongzhao paused and then said: "There are only you and me here. Brother Ma, feel free to speak your mind."
"Let’s simplify this. The World-Passing Xuan Cang is used for escaping to other possibilities. Why would Yan Xuantai, who has been in our Starlight Sea for so long, suddenly take such great risks to escape?"
"Yan Xuantai is a Saint Merchant. His disappearance was mysterious; I heard they recovered many lost treasures before vanishing. Could he have learned something from the Saints that led him to flee?"
"You mean..." Nan Gong Hongzhao stared at Li Fan.
"Yes, I suspect a great calamity will soon befall our Starlight Sea," Li Fan said softly.
"Brother Ma, don’t speak recklessly!" Nan Gong Hongzhao interrupted sharply before he could finish his sentence.
However, the logic behind Li Fan’s reasoning was sound. As Nan Gong Hongzhao pondered more, it seemed like this might indeed be the truth hidden beneath the chaos. He seemed to have realized something as his expression changed several times within a breath.
"Brother Ma, I’ll just share your thoughts with me. Don’t say anything else. If things go wrong, I can’t help you," Nan Gong Hongzhao said before leaving hurriedly.
He left behind a scroll containing the Nan Gong family’s records of their cultivation experiences and insights on the Dao Body Technique, but only at the basic stage of understanding and reflecting upon the Dao.
It seemed that Nan Gong Hongzhao was using this as bait to increase his favor with "Ma Tian De."
Li Fan glanced over it briefly before setting it aside.
"Is there an inside man in our Starlight Sea? Interesting."
Based on current information, the actual power holders of the Starlight Sea were likely the True Immortals who had undergone the transformation.
The common folk merely served as puppets under their control.
"But why would True Immortals allow mere mortals to serve as face?" Li Fan suddenly thought about theinvisible hand behind the Dao Web and the four nameless True Immortals used as stakes.
"The struggle between those who have undergone transformation, former True Immortals, and current True Immortals."
"However, in this battlefield, a traitor has appeared."
"He’s not fleeing to either side but to other possibilities outside of them."
According to Nan Gong Hongzhao's words, the survivors of the Great Calamity under the Dao Submersion were still terrified. The strongest among them had long fled.
Li Fan believed that these remaining individuals, even if they claimed to be True Immortals, must still harbor fear.
However, the false prosperity created by the Dao Web over thousands of years had deceived them into believing they could resist the Dao Submersion with it.
But the Saint Merchants and Yan Xuantai’s risky escape might awaken them from their illusions.
"Interesting."
"There are no permanent enemies in this world. Perhaps our Starlight Sea can once again cooperate with those True Immortals."
"After all, one of the nine Xuan Cangs can pass through worlds. Who knows if others can’t as well?"
Another month passed.
The new Divine Hunt’s vacation finally ended, and Li Fan and his companions were summoned for a reprimand by the robust man who had previously carried the giant pillar.
He harshly scolded them: "Regardless of the reason, such a significant error in your first mission is incompetence. Therefore, you must make amends."
"Again, hunt down True Immortals!"
"This time, I will join you," he said.
"The target is our old adversary from previous hunts who has managed to escape several times. This time..."
"Hmph," the robust man sneered with a hint of malice in his eyes.
"Senior Qian, may we know this target?" Dao Yuan was the first to ask.
Clearly familiar with the robust man, he had already called out his surname before being introduced.
"This Dao technique can sever all connections to the outside world, making it extremely difficult to track. Even when wandering through the Dao Web, no trace is left behind. We don’t know its true nature and only refer to it as 'None.'"
"Relying on the uniqueness of their path, this True Immortal frequently infiltrates our Starlight Sea. Our previous hunts were thwarted by this True Immortal, so we finally decided to capture them!" the robust man said sternly.
"Such a difficult task for us?" Dao Yuan was taken aback.
Not just Dao Yuan, but all the new Divine Hunters shared his surprise.
"Don’t worry; because you are newcomers and unknown to 'None,' you have more chances. You only need to follow my commands and execute the Dao Web’s instructions. This 'None' will be like a fish in a barrel!" the robust man said with great confidence.
Li Fan and the others nodded in agreement, their eyes inadvertently glancing at Nan Gong Hongzhao who seemed distracted.
However, Li Fan was more concerned about this hunt's target.
"Severing all connections to the outside world?"
For some reason, an impudent laugh echoed in his ears.
"What does it have to do with me! What does it have to do with me!"