xià fāng de mì shì méi yǒu zhào míng ， qī hēi yī piàn 。
下方的密室没有照明，漆黑一片。
Below the dimly lit secret chamber, everything was pitch black.
dàn shì zài lǐ fán shén shí lǒng zhào xià ， qí nèi jǐng xiàng què shì yì lǎn wú yí 。
但是在李凡神识笼罩下，其内景象却是一览无遗。
But under Li Fan's divine sense, every detail became clear.
shǒu zhòng dàn chū yī lǚ huǒ miáo ， jiāng yuán běn jiù cún zài de là zhú diǎn rán 。
手中弹出一缕火苗，将原本就存在的蜡烛点燃。
He flicked a flame from his hand and lit an already existing candle.
zhú guāng tiào dòng zhōng ， lǐ fán de miàn sè zhú jiàn biàn dé níng zhòng qǐ lái 。
烛光跳动中，李凡的面色逐渐变得凝重起来。
As the candlelight flickered, Li Fan's expression grew increasingly serious.
zài zhè yī fāng bù suàn dà dàn yě bù xiǎo de kōng jiān zhōng ， yī zūn wú miàn shí xiàng kào zhe qiáng bì chù lì 。
在这一方不算大但也不小的空间中，一尊无面石像靠着墙壁矗立。
In this space neither too small nor large, there stood a faceless stone statue against the wall.
zhōng jiān shì yī zhāng cháng cháng de hēi hè sè mù zhuō 。
中间是一张长长的黑褐色木桌。
A long black-brown wooden table was in the middle of the room, with faint traces of dried dark red blood visible on it.
zhuō shàng yǐn yǐn néng kàn dào xiē xǔ àn hóng sè xiān xuè níng gù de hén jì 。
桌上隐隐能看到些许暗红色鲜血凝固的痕迹。
Beside the table were several transparent earthenware jars filled with organs of unknown origin.
zhuō jiǎo bǎi fàng zhe yí gè mù xiāng 。
桌角摆放着一个木箱。
In one corner, Li Fan noticed some skeletal remains of young humans.
lǐ fán dǎ kāi mù xiāng ， fā xiàn lǐ miàn shì chuí 、 dāo 、 dīng 、 zhēn děng bù zhī yòng tú de gōng jù 。
李凡打开木箱，发现里面是锤、刀、钉、针等不知用途的工具。
"Mr. Bai..."
ér yán qiáng yī quān ， bǎi zhe xǔ duō tòu míng de wǎ guàn 。
而沿墙一圈，摆着许多透明的瓦罐。
Li Fan's expression was inexplicable as he continued searching through the chamber.
wǎ guàn zhōng ， yòng bù zhī míng de yè tǐ jìn pào fàng zhe xǔ xǔ duō duō 、 qí xíng guài zhuàng de qì guān 。
瓦罐中，用不知名的液体浸泡放着许许多多、奇形怪状的器官。
At another corner, he found traces that differed from elsewhere.
zài yí gè jiǎo luò lǐ ， lǐ fán hái kàn dào le jǐ jù yòu nián rén lèi de gǔ gé biāo běn 。
在一个角落里，李凡还看到了几具幼年人类的骨骼标本。
His divine sense delved into the ground.
“ bái xiān shēng ……”
“白先生……”
There lay twenty-eight skeletons buried deep underground.
lǐ fán shén sè mò míng ， jì xù zài zhè mì shì zhōng fān zhǎo zháo 。
李凡神色莫名，继续在这密室中翻找着。
The remains appeared to be half-human, half-animal creatures like those in the small temple.
zài lìng yī chù qiáng jiǎo ， tā fā xiàn le dì miàn shàng de hén jì hé qí tā dì fāng yǒu xiē bù tóng 。
在另一处墙角，他发现了地面上的痕迹和其他地方有些不同。
No further discoveries were made in the chamber.
shén shí shēn rù dì xià 。
神识深入地下。
Li Fan remained still as he pondered his findings.
lǐ miàn hè rán mái zhe yī jù 、 liǎng jù ……
里面赫然埋着一具、两具……
From these objects, it seemed Mr. Bai's image of being "the best and most benevolent person" was challenged.
èr shí bā jù shī gǔ 。
二十八具尸骨。
But...
kàn yí hái de yàng mào ， dōu shì gēn xiǎo miào zhōng de “ gǒu zi ” yī yàng ， bàn rén bàn shòu de cún zài 。
看遗骸的样貌，都是跟小庙中的“狗子”一样，半人半兽的存在。
It wasn't entirely refuted yet.
chú cǐ zhī wài ， mì shì zhōng jiù zài wú shōu huò le 。
除此之外，密室中就再无收获了。
When Li Fan was a mere mortal in Great Xuan, he had judged countless cases.
méi yǒu zháo jí yǒu suǒ dòng zuò ， lǐ fán yuán dì sī kǎo qǐ lái 。
没有着急有所动作，李凡原地思考起来。
Some that appeared simple often held hidden complexities.
cóng zhè mì shì zhōng fā xiàn de zhǒng zhǒng wù jiàn lái kàn ， bái xiān shēng nà “ tiān xià zuì hǎo de dà hǎo rén ” de rén shè ， sì hū shòu dào le tiǎo zhàn 。
从这密室中发现的种种物件来看，白先生那“天下最好的大好人”的人设，似乎受到了挑战。
Considering the current scene,
dàn ……
但……
it could be that Mr. Bai was an excellent actor.
shàng bù néng wán quán tuī fān 。
尚不能完全推翻。
He seemed kind on the surface but was actually deeply evil.
zài dà xuán shàng shì fán rén ， zhǔ zhèng yī fāng shí 。
在大玄尚是凡人，主政一方时。
The buried skeletons were victims of his hand.
lǐ fán céng jīng pàn guò dà xiǎo wú shù ān jiàn 。
李凡曾经判过大小无数桉件。
Even those human-headed beast bodies in Ningyuan City might have been created by him, a master of medicine.
qí zhōng yī xiē měng dì kàn shàng qù shí fēn jiǎn dān de ān zi ， wǎng wǎng lìng yǒu yǐn qíng 。
其中一些勐地看上去十分简单的桉子，往往另有隐情。
Rescuing orphans from the small temple could have been for research purposes.
jiù ná yǎn qián de zhè fān jǐng xiàng lái shuō 。
就拿眼前的这番景象来说。
Alternatively, Mr. Bai may not have been an actor at all.
yǒu kě néng shì nà bái xiān shēng wěi zhuāng de hěn hǎo 。
有可能是那白先生伪装的很好。
The specimens and remains in the chamber were merely tools for his medical studies.
biǎo miàn kàn shàng qù shí fēn shàn liáng ， qí shí nèi lǐ shì yí gè jí dù xié è zhī bèi 。
表面看上去十分善良，其实内里是一个极度邪恶之辈。
Li Fan found this plausible given his background but would be considered shocking by most people here.
dì xià shēn mái de hái gǔ ， dōu shì sǐ yú tā zhī shǒu 。
地下深埋的骸骨，都是死于他之手。
Perhaps he was forced to hide underground due to public incomprehension.
shèn zhì níng yuǎn chéng zhōng nà xiē rén shǒu shòu shēn de cún zài ， dōu shì jīng tōng yī shù de tā yī shǒu zào chéng de 。
甚至宁远城中那些人首兽身的存在，都是精通医术的他一手造成的。
Both possibilities existed.
ér jiù zhù xiǎo miào zhōng de gū ér ， yě shì wèi le fāng biàn xuǎn qǔ yán jiū duì xiàng 。
而救助小庙中的孤儿，也是为了方便选取研究对象。
Only Li Fan could verify the truth.
dàn yě yǒu kě néng ， bái xiān shēng bìng méi yǒu wěi zhuāng 。
但也有可能，白先生并没有伪装。
Almost certain now, the owner of this residual time-space was Mr. Bai, whom he had never met.
mì shì zhōng de biāo běn 、 shī hái ， jǐn jǐn shì tā yòng lái yán jiū yī shù de 。
密室中的标本、尸骸，仅仅是他用来研究医术的。
Li Fan decided not to change his plans and try resolving the "Ningyuan Lifespan Fruit" incident without any human casualties first.
chuān yuè ér lái de lǐ fán ， duì cǐ dǎo shì bù nán jiē shòu 。
穿越而来的李凡，对此倒是不难接受。
With a plan in mind, Li Fan focused on the partially damaged stone statue.
bù guò zài zhè níng yuǎn chéng zhōng ， kě néng yǒu diǎn jīng shì hài sú le 。
不过在这宁远城中，可能有点惊世骇俗了。
The statue seemed old, with signs of time's wear.
zhī suǒ yǐ duǒ zài zhè dì xià mì shì zhōng yán jiū ， yě xǔ shì shì rén nán yǐ lǐ jiě 、 pò bù dé yǐ wèi zhī 。
之所以躲在这地下密室中研究，也许是世人难以理解、迫不得已为之。
Its faceless visage stared at him silently.
yǐ shàng liǎng zhǒng kě néng xìng ， dōu yǒu 。
以上两种可能性，都有。
"This chunk of rock would be enough to make several sets of Immortal Desolation Stone Needles."
jiū jìng zhēn xiàng rú hé ， hái xū lǐ fán zì jǐ yàn zhèng 。
究竟真相如何，还需李凡自己验证。
Li Fan thought.
mù qián jī hū yǐ jīng kě yǐ què dìng de shì ， zhè piàn yí niàn shí kōng de zhǔ rén ， jiù shì zhè cóng wèi yǔ zhī jiàn guò miàn de “ bái xiān shēng ” le 。
目前几乎已经可以确定的是，这片遗念时空的主人，就是这从未与之见过面的“白先生”了。
He glanced at the wooden box and was even more satisfied.
lǐ fán jué dìng hái shì bù gǎi biàn zhī qián de jì huà ， xiān cháng shì zài wú fán rén shāng wáng de qíng kuàng xià ， jiě jué 【 níng yuǎn qǔ shòu guǒ 】 shì jiàn zài shuō 。
李凡决定还是不改变之前的计划，先尝试在无凡人伤亡的情况下，解决【宁远取寿果】事件再说。
"Good, everything is prepared for me."
xīn zhōng dìng jì zhī hòu ， lǐ fán jiāng mù guāng jí zhōng zài nà zuò yǒu xiē cán quē de shí xiàng shàng 。
心中定计之后，李凡将目光集中在那座有些残缺的石像上。
With no hesitation, Li Fan used his divine sense to drive the hammer, nails, and knife.
shí xiàng jù lí dàn shēng ， sì hū yǐ jīng guò qù hěn zhǎng shí jiān le 。
石像距离诞生，似乎已经过去很长时间了。
After some clanging sounds, he placed dozens of long Immortal Desolation Stone Needles on a table in the basement.
mǎn shì suì yuè de cāng sāng hén jì ， zài bù fù guò wǎng de shén shèng 。
满是岁月的沧桑痕迹，再不复过往的神圣。
"Now, I need to test if these Immortal Desolation Spirit Needles can subdue Senior Brother Zhang."
nà wú miàn zhī liǎn ， jìng jìng dì hé lǐ fán duì shì zhe 。
那无面之脸，静静地和李凡对视着。
"If they work..."
“ zhè me dà yī kuài shí tou ， dǎ zào liǎng sān tào xiān jué shí dīng ， dōu shì chuò chuò yǒu yú le 。”
“这么大一块石头，打造两三套仙绝石钉，都是绰绰有余了。”
"I can easily capture those mere chickens and dogs with my insect-binding power."
lǐ fán què shì rú cǐ xiǎng dào 。
李凡却是如此想到。
"And I can do the same to Song HeSong using the Immortal Desolation Stone Needles."
yòu miáo le yī yǎn zhōng jiān mù xiāng ， lǐ fán gèng shì shí fēn mǎn yì 。
又瞄了一眼中间木箱，李凡更是十分满意。
"Right, these Immortal Desolation Stones cannot be stored in a storage ring. I need to trap them first."
“ ń ， hěn hǎo ， lián gōng jù dōu gěi wǒ zhǔn bèi hǎo le 。”
“嗯，很好，连工具都给我准备好了。”
After some thought, Li Fan returned to the surface and placed the Immortal Desolation Stone slab back into the basement.
dāng xià lǐ fán bù zài yóu yù ， yǐ shén shí qū dòng chuí 、 dīng 、 dāo děng gōng jù 。
当下李凡不再犹豫，以神识驱动锤、钉、刀等工具。
He then sent a message to Senior Brother Zhang.
yī zhèn dīng dīng kuāng kuāng 。
一阵叮叮哐哐。
"Come quickly, I have made a major discovery!"
bù jiǔ zhī hòu ， jǐ shí gēn xì cháng de xiān jué shí dīng dǎ zào wán chéng ， bèi lǐ fán yī yī bǎi fàng zài dì xià shì de zhǎng zhuō shàng 。
不久之后，几十根细长的仙绝石钉打造完成，被李凡一一摆放在地下室的长桌上。
Li Fan returned to the secret chamber and blew out the candle, waiting for Senior Brother Zhang's arrival.
“ jiē xià lái ， jiù shì yào shì shì kàn ，【 fēng xiān jué líng zhēn 】 shì fǒu néng zhì zhù zhāng shī xiōng 。”
“接下来，就是要试试看，【封仙绝灵针】是否能制住章师兄。”
Not long after, Zhang Qianmo's voice echoed from above: "Hmm? What did you find in this secret chamber?"
“ ruò shì kě yǐ ……”
“若是可以……”
"So many skeletons..."
“ chǔ liáng děng rén bù guò tǔ jī wǎ gǒu ， wǒ kě qīng sōng píng jiè fù chóng shén tōng jiāng tā men zhuō ná 。”
“楚良等人不过土鸡瓦狗，我可轻松凭借缚虫神通将他们捉拿。”
"Huh? Beast species!?"
“ sòng hé sòng nà biān ， wǒ yě kě yǐ rú fǎ páo zhì ， yòng jué xiān shí zhēn jiāng qí zhì fú 。”
“宋和颂那边，我也可以如法炮制，用绝仙石针将其制伏。”
Realizing the half-human, half-animal remains, Zhang Qianmo's tone suddenly dropped with anger.
“ ń ， zhè jué xiān shí wú fǎ shōu rù chǔ wù jiè zhōng ， xū yào qǐng jūn rù wèng 。”
“嗯，这绝仙石无法收入储物戒中，需要请君入瓮。”
He landed in the basement and said, "Senior Brother, look. There are not only strange skeletal remains but also a mysterious stone statue."
xiǎng le xiǎng ， lǐ fán huí dào dì miàn ， jiāng nà kuài xiān jué shí bǎn fàng rù dì xià shì 。
想了想，李凡回到地面，将那块仙绝石板放入地下室。
Its origin is unknown.
suí hòu gěi zhāng shī xiōng chuán xùn 。
随后给章师兄传讯。
In the darkness, Li Fan slowly approached Zhang Qianmo and pointed at the increasingly broken-down statue.
“ shī xiōng sù lái ， wǒ yǒu zhòng dà fā xiàn ！”
“师兄速来，我有重大发现！”
With his divine sense unable to show anything, Zhang Qianmo noticed the faceless stone statue nearby.
lǐ fán jiē zhe yòu fǎn huí dì xià mì shì ， jiāng là zhú chuī miè ， jìng hòu zhāng shī xiōng de dào lái 。
李凡接着又返回地下密室，将蜡烛吹灭，静候章师兄的到来。
His heart raced as he exclaimed, "Heavenly Daoist Statue?"
mò guò yī huì ， tóu dǐng biàn chuán lái zhāng qiān mò de shēng yīn ：“ ń ？ shī dì nǐ zài zhè mì shì lǐ fā xiàn le shén me ？”
没过一会，头顶便传来章阡陌的声音：“嗯？师弟你在这密室里发现了什么？”
Suddenly, a long stone needle pierced through him from behind, targeting his dantian.
“ rú cǐ duō de hái gǔ ……”
“如此多的骸骨……”
Piercing through him.
“ ń ？ shòu zhǒng ！？”
“嗯？兽种！？”
Zhang Qianmo grunted in pain.
chá jué dào mì shì zhōng nà xiē bàn shòu bàn rén de hái gǔ ， zhāng qiān mò de yǔ qì shà shí yī chén 。
察觉到密室中那些半兽半人的骸骨，章阡陌的语气霎时一沉。
He never expected his dear junior to betray him. Zhang Qianmo's expression changed dramatically as he turned to retaliate.
yǐn yǐn xiǎn chū nù qì 。
隐隐显出怒气。
But the flow of qi in his dantian paused, and the Purple Heaven Thunder Technique he was about to use slowed by a breath.
fēi shēn jiàng luò dào dì xià mì shì zhōng 。
飞身降落到地下密室中。
In that instant, another stone needle pierced through his chest at the膻中穴 position.
“ shī xiōng nǐ kàn ， zhè lǐ bù jǐn yǒu xǔ duō qí xíng guài zhuàng de shī gǔ ， hái yǒu yī zūn guǐ yì de shí xiàng 。”
“师兄你看，这里不仅有许多奇形怪状的尸骨，还有一尊诡异的石像。”
More followed continuously.
“ bù zhī shì shén me lái lì 。”
“不知是什么来历。”
Thirty-six Immortal Desolation Spirit Needles sealed all critical points on Zhang Qianmo's body.
hēi àn zhōng ， lǐ fán huǎn huǎn jiē jìn zhāng qiān mò ， zhǐ zhe nà yù fā cán pò de shí xiàng shuō dào 。
黑暗中，李凡缓缓接近章阡陌，指着那愈发残破的石像说道。
His overall aura plummeted. The senior brother who had been at the筑基 stage now appeared as ordinary as a mortal.
shén shí wú fǎ xiǎn shì ， cǐ kè jiè zhù tóu dǐng sǎ xià de wēi ruò guāng máng ， zhāng qiān mò zhè cái zhù yì dào bù yuǎn chù nà zūn wú miàn shí xiàng 。
神识无法显示，此刻借助头顶洒下的微弱光芒，章阡陌这才注意到不远处那尊无面石像。
"Sealing Immortal Desolation..."
xīn shén jù zhèn ， shī shēng dào ：“ xuán tiān shén xiàng ？”
心神剧震，失声道：“玄天神像？”
"Remnant of Heavenly Daoist..."
jiù zài zhè shí ， shēn hòu de lǐ fán měng dì jiāng yī gēn xì cháng shí dīng ， cì rù tā bèi hòu duì yìng dān tián de wèi zhì 。
就在这时，身后的李凡勐地将一根细长石钉，刺入他背后对应丹田的位置。
Though captured, Zhang Qianmo showed little panic.
chuān shēn ér guò 。
穿身而过。
He stared at Li Fan with hatred and said, "You're not Junior Brother Li Chen!"
zhāng qiān mò mèn hēng yī shēng 。
章阡陌闷哼一声。
"What did you do to my junior brother?"
méi xiǎng dào qīn ài de shī dì jū rán huì àn suàn zì jǐ ， zhāng qiān mò páng fó xiǎng dào le shén me ， shén sè dà biàn ， huí tóu jiù yào fǎn jī 。
没想到亲爱的师弟居然会暗算自己，章阡陌彷佛想到了什么，神色大变，回头就要反击。
Li Fan was surprised by how well the Immortal Desolation Needles worked, easily subduing Senior Brother Zhang.
dàn shì dān tián nèi líng qì yùn zhuàn yī zhì ， xiǎng yào shī zhǎn chū de zǐ xiāo léi fǎ ， jìng rán màn le yī xī 。
但是丹田内灵气运转一滞，想要施展出的紫霄雷法，竟然慢了一息。
Hearing that he was mistaken for a "Remnant of Heavenly Daoist," Li Fan's mind stirred.
jiù zài zhè chà nà jiān ， yòu shì yī gēn shí dīng zì xiōng kǒu dàn zhōng xué wèi zhì hěn hěn cì rù 。
就在这刹那间，又是一根石钉自胸口膻中穴位置狠狠刺入。
But his expression remained unchanged as he said calmly, "Senior Brother is too careless. Can't even recognize your own junior brother?"
jiē zhe ， jiē lián bù tíng 。
接着，接连不停。
He then recounted several events only known to them two brothers from Li Chen's memories.
yī gòng sān shí liù gēn xiān jué shí zhēn ， jiāng zhāng qiān mò zhōu shēn yào hài xué wèi jìn shù fēng suǒ 。
一共三十六根仙绝石针，将章阡陌周身要害穴位尽数封锁。
Zhang Qianmo's expression changed repeatedly with suspicion.
quán shēn qì xī dǒu jiàng ， biǎo miàn shí lì zhù jī qī de zhāng shī xiōng ， cǐ kè jìng rán biàn dé zhǐ rú fán rén yì bān 。
全身气息陡降，表面实力筑基期的章师兄，此刻竟然变得只如凡人一般。
"Did you have your soul searched? No, the Purple Heaven Thunder Technique protects against such techniques..."
“ fēng xiān jué líng ……”
“封仙绝灵……”
"Could it be..."
“ xuán tiān jiào yú niè ……”
“玄天教余孽……”
Zhang Qianmo's face turned completely dark.
suī bèi qín zhù ， dàn zhāng qiān mò liǎn shàng què méi yǒu duō shǎo huāng luàn 。
虽被擒住，但章阡陌脸上却没有多少慌乱。
"I never expected that Junior Brother would be a hidden agent of Heavenly Daoist infiltrating my Purple Heaven Sect from childhood."
ér shì dīng zhe lǐ fán ， hèn shēng dào 。
而是盯着李凡，恨声道。
Li Fan was speechless.
“ nǐ bú shì lǐ chén shī dì ！”
“你不是李尘师弟！”
But he saw that Zhang Qianmo seemed unconcerned about his situation, instead trying to extract information.
“ nǐ bǎ wǒ shī dì zěn me yàng le ？”
“你把我师弟怎么样了？”
So Li Fan played along, "Senior Brother is joking. I have no idea what Heavenly Daoist means."
lǐ fán méi xiǎng dào zhè xiān jué shí dīng de xiào guǒ jū rán rú cǐ zhī hǎo ， qīng yì jiù jiāng zhāng shī xiōng gěi zhì zhù 。
李凡没想到这仙绝石钉的效果居然如此之好，轻易就将章师兄给制住。
He shrugged innocently.
tīng wén tā wù bǎ zì jǐ dàng zuò shén me “ xuán tiān jiào yú niè ” hòu ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng wēi dòng 。
听闻他误把自己当做什么“玄天教余孽”后，李凡心中微动。
"Unaware?"
miàn shàng què bù dòng shēng sè ， yǔ qì rú cháng de shuō dào ：“ shī xiōng zhēn shì hú tú le 。 lián shī dì wǒ dōu rèn bù chū lái le ma ？”
面上却不动声色，语气如常的说道：“师兄真是湖涂了。连师弟我都认不出来了嘛？”
Zhang Qianmo sneered.
jiē zhe ， tā yī jiàn jiàn jiǎng shù le xiē lǐ chén jì yì zhōng ， zhǐ yǒu tā men shī xiōng dì èr rén cái zhī dào de wǎng shì 。
接着，他一件件讲述了些李尘记忆中，只有他们师兄弟二人才知道的往事。
"Now's the time for truth-telling."
zhāng qiān mò shén sè bù duàn biàn huà ， jīng yí bù dìng 。
章阡陌神色不断变化，惊疑不定。
"Hidden with a Heavenly Daoist statue, doing secretive things."
“ shì shī dì bèi sōu hún le ？ bú duì ， yǒu zǐ xiāo shén léi yì hù tǐ ， gēn běn bù wèi jù sōu hún zhī shù ……”
“是师弟被搜魂了？不对，有紫霄神雷意护体，根本不畏惧搜魂之术……”
"Who else could it be but a Remnant of Heavenly Daoist?"
“ nán dào ……”
“难道……”
"You've hidden well these years."
Below the dimly lit secret chamber, everything was pitch black.
But under Li Fan's divine sense, every detail became clear.
He flicked a flame from his hand and lit an already existing candle.
As the candlelight flickered, Li Fan's expression grew increasingly serious.
In this space neither too small nor large, there stood a faceless stone statue against the wall.
A long black-brown wooden table was in the middle of the room, with faint traces of dried dark red blood visible on it.
Beside the table were several transparent earthenware jars filled with organs of unknown origin.
In one corner, Li Fan noticed some skeletal remains of young humans.
"Mr. Bai..."
Li Fan's expression was inexplicable as he continued searching through the chamber.
At another corner, he found traces that differed from elsewhere.
His divine sense delved into the ground.
There lay twenty-eight skeletons buried deep underground.
The remains appeared to be half-human, half-animal creatures like those in the small temple.
No further discoveries were made in the chamber.
Li Fan remained still as he pondered his findings.
From these objects, it seemed Mr. Bai's image of being "the best and most benevolent person" was challenged.
But...
It wasn't entirely refuted yet.
When Li Fan was a mere mortal in Great Xuan, he had judged countless cases.
Some that appeared simple often held hidden complexities.
Considering the current scene,
it could be that Mr. Bai was an excellent actor.
He seemed kind on the surface but was actually deeply evil.
The buried skeletons were victims of his hand.
Even those human-headed beast bodies in Ningyuan City might have been created by him, a master of medicine.
Rescuing orphans from the small temple could have been for research purposes.
Alternatively, Mr. Bai may not have been an actor at all.
The specimens and remains in the chamber were merely tools for his medical studies.
Li Fan found this plausible given his background but would be considered shocking by most people here.
Perhaps he was forced to hide underground due to public incomprehension.
Both possibilities existed.
Only Li Fan could verify the truth.
Almost certain now, the owner of this residual time-space was Mr. Bai, whom he had never met.
Li Fan decided not to change his plans and try resolving the "Ningyuan Lifespan Fruit" incident without any human casualties first.
With a plan in mind, Li Fan focused on the partially damaged stone statue.
The statue seemed old, with signs of time's wear.
Its faceless visage stared at him silently.
"This chunk of rock would be enough to make several sets of Immortal Desolation Stone Needles."
Li Fan thought.
He glanced at the wooden box and was even more satisfied.
"Good, everything is prepared for me."
With no hesitation, Li Fan used his divine sense to drive the hammer, nails, and knife.
After some clanging sounds, he placed dozens of long Immortal Desolation Stone Needles on a table in the basement.
"Now, I need to test if these Immortal Desolation Spirit Needles can subdue Senior Brother Zhang."
"If they work..."
"I can easily capture those mere chickens and dogs with my insect-binding power."
"And I can do the same to Song HeSong using the Immortal Desolation Stone Needles."
"Right, these Immortal Desolation Stones cannot be stored in a storage ring. I need to trap them first."
After some thought, Li Fan returned to the surface and placed the Immortal Desolation Stone slab back into the basement.
He then sent a message to Senior Brother Zhang.
"Come quickly, I have made a major discovery!"
Li Fan returned to the secret chamber and blew out the candle, waiting for Senior Brother Zhang's arrival.
Not long after, Zhang Qianmo's voice echoed from above: "Hmm? What did you find in this secret chamber?"
"So many skeletons..."
"Huh? Beast species!?"
Realizing the half-human, half-animal remains, Zhang Qianmo's tone suddenly dropped with anger.
He landed in the basement and said, "Senior Brother, look. There are not only strange skeletal remains but also a mysterious stone statue."
Its origin is unknown.
In the darkness, Li Fan slowly approached Zhang Qianmo and pointed at the increasingly broken-down statue.
With his divine sense unable to show anything, Zhang Qianmo noticed the faceless stone statue nearby.
His heart raced as he exclaimed, "Heavenly Daoist Statue?"
Suddenly, a long stone needle pierced through him from behind, targeting his dantian.
Piercing through him.
Zhang Qianmo grunted in pain.
He never expected his dear junior to betray him. Zhang Qianmo's expression changed dramatically as he turned to retaliate.
But the flow of qi in his dantian paused, and the Purple Heaven Thunder Technique he was about to use slowed by a breath.
In that instant, another stone needle pierced through his chest at the膻中穴 position.
More followed continuously.
Thirty-six Immortal Desolation Spirit Needles sealed all critical points on Zhang Qianmo's body.
His overall aura plummeted. The senior brother who had been at the筑基 stage now appeared as ordinary as a mortal.
"Sealing Immortal Desolation..."
"Remnant of Heavenly Daoist..."
Though captured, Zhang Qianmo showed little panic.
He stared at Li Fan with hatred and said, "You're not Junior Brother Li Chen!"
"What did you do to my junior brother?"
Li Fan was surprised by how well the Immortal Desolation Needles worked, easily subduing Senior Brother Zhang.
Hearing that he was mistaken for a "Remnant of Heavenly Daoist," Li Fan's mind stirred.
But his expression remained unchanged as he said calmly, "Senior Brother is too careless. Can't even recognize your own junior brother?"
He then recounted several events only known to them two brothers from Li Chen's memories.
Zhang Qianmo's expression changed repeatedly with suspicion.
"Did you have your soul searched? No, the Purple Heaven Thunder Technique protects against such techniques..."
"Could it be..."
Zhang Qianmo's face turned completely dark.
"I never expected that Junior Brother would be a hidden agent of Heavenly Daoist infiltrating my Purple Heaven Sect from childhood."
Li Fan was speechless.
But he saw that Zhang Qianmo seemed unconcerned about his situation, instead trying to extract information.
So Li Fan played along, "Senior Brother is joking. I have no idea what Heavenly Daoist means."
He shrugged innocently.
"Unaware?"
Zhang Qianmo sneered.
"Now's the time for truth-telling."
"Hidden with a Heavenly Daoist statue, doing secretive things."
"Who else could it be but a Remnant of Heavenly Daoist?"
"You've hidden well these years."