chá jué dào zhè diǎn de ， xiǎn rán bù zhǐ shì lǐ fán yī rén 。
察觉到这点的，显然不只是李凡一人。
Clearly, not just Li Fan was aware of this.
zhàn dòu jié shù hòu ， kàn zhe zài xióng xióng liè huǒ zhōng huà zuò huī jìn de duò mù ， yàn háng děng rén bìng méi yǒu sī háo xīng fèn de shén sè 。
战斗结束后，看着在熊熊烈火中化作灰烬的堕木，晏杭等人并没有丝毫兴奋的神色。
After the battle ended, looking at the remnants of the fallen wood that had been reduced to ashes in the raging flames, Yan Hang and his companions showed no signs of excitement.
“ gāi sǐ de ， zhè xiē guài wù hǎo xiàng yòu biàn qiáng le yì diǎn 。” yàn háng kàn zhuó shǒu bì shàng yī dào kū huáng de shāng kǒu ， liǎn sè nán kàn ， nù mà dào 。
“该死的，这些怪物好像又变强了一点。”晏杭看着手臂上一道枯黄的伤口，脸色难看，怒骂道。
"Damned monsters, they seem to have grown a bit stronger," Yan Hang said with an ugly expression on his face as he looked at the yellowish wound on his arm.
qí yú sì rén yě dōu huò duō huò shǎo yǒu diǎn shāng shì 。
其余四人也都或多或少有点伤势。
The other four also had some injuries.
“ gǎn jǐn jiāng cǐ cì zhàn dòu qíng kuàng shàng bào ba ， xī wàng shàng miàn néng jǐn kuài xiǎng chū diǎn hǎo bàn fǎ lái 。 fǒu zé ， gū jì wǒ men yě chēng bù liǎo duō jiǔ le 。” sì rén zhōng míng wèi lí shí fēng de xiū shì tàn le kǒu qì ， shuō dào 。
“赶紧将此次战斗情况上报吧，希望上面能尽快想出点好办法来。否则，估计我们也撑不了多久了。”四人中名为黎时丰的修士叹了口气，说道。
"We should quickly report this battle situation to the higher-ups and hope that they can come up with good solutions soon. Otherwise, we won't last much longer." Li Shifeng, one of the cultivators, sighed and said.
yàn háng lěng hēng shēng ， yě méi yǒu fǎn bó 。
晏杭冷哼声，也没有反驳。
Yan Hang snorted but did not refute him.
dǎ kāi dū tiān lù ， bì mù huì bào qǐ lái 。
打开督天录，闭目汇报起来。
He opened the Supervening Record and began reporting his findings with his eyes closed.
lǐ fán tóng yàng yě zài chá kàn zhe dū tiān lù nèi 。
李凡同样也在查看着督天录内。
Li Fan was also checking the Supervening Record.
hé gāng gāng jìn rù wǔ xíng dòng tiān shí xiāng bǐ ， cǐ shí qí zhōng jì lù de xìn xī ， gèng shì fēng fù le xǔ duō 。
和刚刚进入五行洞天时相比，此时其中记录的信息，更是丰富了许多。
Compared to when he first entered the Five Elements Immortal Cave Heaven, there were now much more detailed records here.
“ dà zhèn zhěng tǐ wán chéng jìn dù 78%。”
“大阵整体完成进度78%。”
"The overall completion progress of the Great Array is 78%."
“ zài jì huà zhī zhōng ， shèn zhì bǐ qǐ dāng chū yù xiǎng de hái yào kuài shàng jǐ fēn 。”
“在计划之中，甚至比起当初预想的还要快上几分。”
"Even faster than initially planned."
“ dàn shì xiǎn rán ， zhè lǐ fā shēng de shì qíng yǐ jīng yǒu xiē shī kòng le 。”
“但是显然，这里发生的事情已经有些失控了。”
"But clearly, things have gotten out of hand here."
“ bù zhī dào wàn xiān méng jiē xià lái huì cǎi qǔ shén me yàng de cuò shī 。”
“不知道万仙盟接下来会采取什么样的措施。”
"What measures will the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance take next?"
lǐ fán mù guāng wēi shǎn ， shǒu zhōng dòng zuò bù tíng 。
李凡目光微闪，手中动作不停。
Li Fan's eyes flashed as he continued his work.
wàn xiān méng jiū jìng néng bù néng rú qī wán chéng tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn de jiàn zào ？
万仙盟究竟能不能如期完成天玄锁灵阵的建造？
Could the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance truly complete the Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array on time?
lǐ fán jī hū kě yǐ què xìn ， yí dìng néng 。
李凡几乎可以确信，一定能。
He almost knew for certain that they would.
cǐ shí wǔ xíng dòng tiān nèi ， jué dà duō shù de xíng dòng zhǔ lì ， bù guò shì yuán yīng xiū shì 。
此时五行洞天内，绝大多数的行动主力，不过是元婴修士。
Most of the active forces in the Five Elements Immortal Cave Heaven were currently Yuan婴 cultivators.
ér wàn xiān méng kě bù quē shǎo huà shén xiū shì 。
而万仙盟可不缺少化神修士。
However, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was not short of Huashen cultivators.
xiǎn rán shàng wèi jǐn quán gōng 。
显然尚未尽全功。
Clearly, their efforts had yet to be fully exerted. If it became evident that current resources were insufficient to complete the task, the alliance would naturally increase its investment.
ruò shì fā xiàn mù qián shǒu zhōng de lì liàng bù zú yǐ wán chéng mù biāo rèn wù ， wàn xiān méng zì rán huì jiā dà tóu rù 。
若是发现目前手中的力量不足以完成目标任务，万仙盟自然会加大投入。
As for whether the cultivators in the Five Elements Immortal Cave Heaven could survive until reinforcements arrived, that was another matter entirely.
zhì yú cǐ kè zài wǔ xíng dòng tiān nèi de xiū shì néng bù néng jiān chí huó dào zhī yuán dào dá de nà yī tiān ， jiù shì lìng wài yī huí shì le 。
至于此刻在五行洞天内的修士能不能坚持活到支援到达的那一天，就是另外一回事了。
...
……
……
Just as Li Fan expected, the growing strength of the cave monsters caused widespread anxiety.
hé lǐ fán yù xiǎng zhōng de yī yàng ， dòng tiān guài wù bù duàn biàn qiáng de shí lì gǎo dé rén xīn huáng huáng 。
和李凡预想中的一样，洞天怪物不断变强的实力搞得人心惶惶。
Qi Bu Yi quickly stepped forward to reassure everyone.
qī bù yì hěn kuài jiù chū lái ān fǔ rén xīn le 。
戚不弈很快就出来安抚人心了。
Firstly, she explained that due to the principle of mutual克制between the five elements, it would not be possible for a monster with all five attributes to appear. The most extreme scenario would only see four attribute monsters.
shǒu xiān ， tā wèi zhòng rén jiě shì le ， yóu yú wǔ xíng xiāng kè de yuán lǐ ， zhòng rén rèn wéi wǔ shǔ xìng de róng hé guài wù bìng bú huì fā shēng 。
首先，她为众人解释了，由于五行相克的原理，众人认为五属性的融合怪物并不会发生。
But this could only happen at the end stage of the Five Elements Return to One process.
zuì jí duān de qíng kuàng ， yě zhǐ huì dàn shēng sì shǔ xìng róng hé guài wù 。
最极端的情况，也只会诞生四属性融合怪物。
The main threat they needed to address were still two or three attribute monsters.
dàn nán yě zhǐ huì fā shēng zài 【 wǔ xíng guī yī 】 jìn chéng de mò qī 。
但难也只会发生在【五行归一】进程的末期。
Secondly, the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was already aware of the current situation in the Five Elements Immortal Cave Heaven.
dà jiā xū yào yìng duì de ， zhǔ yào hái shì èr 、 sān shǔ xìng róng hé de guài wù 。
大家需要应对的，主要还是二、三属性融合的怪物。
Reinforcements would arrive soon.
qí cì ， wàn xiān méng zǒng bù yǐ jīng zhī xiǎo mù qián wǔ xíng dòng tiān de qíng kuàng 。
其次，万仙盟总部已经知晓目前五行洞天的情况。
And the scale of these reinforcements was enormous; their total number exceeded that of all cultivators currently working inside the cave.
zhī yuán hěn kuài jiù huì lái lín 。
支援很快就会来临。
Everyone needn't worry.
bìng gěi ， yuán jūn de guī mó shí fēn páng dà ， zǒng rén shù bǐ xiàn zài yú dòng tiān zhōng gōng zuò de quán bù xiū shì jiā qǐ lái hái yào duō 。
并给，援军的规模十分庞大，总人数比现在于洞天中工作的全部修士加起来还要多。
Although everyone held a skeptical attitude towards Qi Bu Yi's words, they were relieved to have received an explicit guarantee.
dà jiā wú xū dān xīn 。
大家无需担心。
With their spirits somewhat soothed, they continued to work in trepidation, waiting for reinforcements.
suī rán duì yú qī bù yì de shuō cí ， zhòng rén dōu bào zhe jiāng xìn jiāng yí de tài dù 。
虽然对于戚不弈的说辞，众人都抱着将信将疑的态度。
Time passed under this tense atmosphere.
dàn dé dào le què qiè de bǎo zhèng ， zhòng xiū shì men yě zǒng suàn sōng le kǒu qì 。
但得到了确切的保证，众修士们也总算松了口气。
Two years had already passed since entering the Five Elements Immortal Cave Heaven.
qíng xù shāo wēi shū huǎn ， zài tǎn tè zhōng gōng zuò ， děng dài yuán jūn lái lín 。
情绪稍微舒缓，在忐忑中工作，等待援军来临。
During this period, there indeed were some reinforcements that arrived, but clearly not on the scale promised by Qi Bu Yi.
shí jiān jiù zài zhè zhǒng bù duàn jǐn zhāng de fēn wéi zhōng jì xù liú shì 。
时间就在这种不断紧张的氛围中继续流逝。
Upon inquiry, she often used various excuses to avoid providing details.
zhuǎn yǎn jiān ， lí jìn rù wǔ xíng dòng tiān ， yǐ jīng guò qù le liǎng nián shí guāng 。
转眼间，离进入五行洞天，已经过去了两年时光。
However, two new Heavens-Linking cultivators did arrive to bolster their ranks, which somewhat alleviated everyone's concerns.
zhè qī jiān ， dí què lù xù yǒu xiū shì qián lái zhī yuán 。
这期间，的确陆续有修士前来支援。
Through these new reinforcements, they also learned why no significant reinforcements had arrived yet.
dàn míng xiǎn gēn qī bù yì suǒ chéng nuò de dà guī mó yuán jūn xiāng chā shèn yuǎn 。
但明显跟戚不弈所承诺的大规模援军相差甚远。
In the past two years, there were indeed many major events that occurred in the outside world.
xún wèn zhī xià ， qī bù yì yě měi měi yòng gè zhǒng jiè kǒu tuī cí 。
询问之下，戚不弈也每每用各种借口推辞。
Firstly, the Five Elders' Alliance reassembled its forces at the border and repeatedly showed signs of probing or provoking.
bù guò dǎo shì xīn lái le liǎng wèi hé dào xiū shì yā zhèn ， ràng zhòng rén xīn kuān bù shǎo 。
不过倒是新来了两位合道修士压阵，让众人心宽不少。
Unlike before, they did not seem to be planning a large-scale conflict but instead focused all their efforts on Fenglei Continent, which was separated from Tianling State by a vast sea.
ér xīn lái de zhī yuán xiū shì duō le ， tōng guò tā men zhī kǒu ， zhòng rén yě zhī dào le wèi hé chí chí bú jiàn yuán jūn de yuán yīn 。
而新来的支援修士多了，通过他们之口，众人也知道了为何迟迟不见援军的原因。
According to rumors, it seemed that the Five Elders' Alliance coveted the mystique of the Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array and wanted to seize control of an entire continent from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance for comprehensive research.
wài jiè zhè liǎng nián nèi ， zhe shí shì fēng qǐ yún yǒng ， fā shēng le bù shǎo dà shì 。
外界这两年内，着实是风起云涌，发生了不少大事。
But Li Fan knew this was just a facade.
shǒu xiān shì wài yōu 。
首先是外忧。
The true target of the Five Elders' Alliance remained the Void that gave birth to the Five Elements Immortal Cave Heaven in Tianling State.
wǔ lǎo huì chóng xīn chén bīng biān jìng ， lǚ lǚ yǒu shì tàn 、 tiǎo xìn zhī yì 。
五老会重新陈兵边境，屡屡有试探、挑衅之意。
"Looks like the truth will eventually come out. Indeed, two years is enough time for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's activities in Tianling State to raise suspicion," Li Fan thought.
hé yǐ wǎng bù tóng de shì ， duì fāng sì hū bìng méi yǒu kāi qǐ dà guī mó zhēng duān de yì si 。
和以往不同的是，对方似乎并没有开启大规模争端的意思。
Apart from the pressure from the Five Elders' Alliance, things were also not quiet within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
zhǐ shì jiāng quán bù de lì liàng jí zhōng zài le yǔ tiān líng zhōu xiāng gé de fēng léi zhōu 。
只是将全部的力量集中在了与天灵州相隔的风雷洲。
During this period, many voices opposing the widespread implementation of the Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array suddenly emerged across various regions.
jù mín jiān xiǎo dào xiāo xī chēng ， sì hū shì wǔ lǎo huì jì yú tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn de xuán miào ， xiǎng yào cóng wàn xiān méng shǒu zhōng qiǎng duó zhěng yī zhōu zhī dì 。
据民间小道消息称，似乎是五老会觊觎天玄锁灵阵的玄妙，想要从万仙盟手中抢夺整一州之地。
And these weren't just minor figures; they included many high-ranking cultivators in important positions across different states.
duì tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn jìn xíng quán miàn xì zhì de jiě xī yán jiū 。
对天玄锁灵阵进行全面细致的解析研究。
It was unclear what had happened, but these cultivators who had previously publicly supported the construction plan were now changing their stance and clearly opposing it with solid arguments.
lǐ fán què zhī dào zhè zhǐ shì biǎo miàn shàng de jiè kǒu ér yǐ 。
李凡却知道这只是表面上的借口而已。
...
wǔ lǎo huì zhēn zhèng de mù biāo ， yīng dāng hái shì tiān líng zhōu nà piàn yùn yù le wǔ xíng dòng tiān de xū kōng 。
五老会真正的目标，应当还是天灵州那片孕育了五行洞天的虚空。
Their viewpoint was as follows:
“ kàn lái zhōng jiū shì zhǐ bāo bú zhù huǒ 。 dí què ， liǎng nián shí jiān ， wàn xiān méng zài tiān líng zhōu de yì dòng ， zú gòu yǐn qǐ duì fāng de jǐng jué le 。” lǐ fán àn zì sī cǔn 。
“看来终究是纸包不住火。的确，两年时间，万仙盟在天灵州的异动，足够引起对方的警觉了。”李凡暗自思忖。
As everyone knew, no matter how ingenious an array might be, there would always come a day when it could be deciphered or broken.
chú le wǔ lǎo huì dài lái de yā lì wài 。
除了五老会带来的压力外。
In history, there had been cases where protective arrays' secrets leaked out, leaving the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance unaware and caught off guard.
wàn xiān méng jìng nèi yě bìng bù píng jìng 。
万仙盟境内也并不平静。
This was why protective arrays needed to be completely replaced at regular intervals.
zhè yī duàn shí jiān nèi ， gè dì hū de mào chū xǔ duō fǎn duì tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn pǔ jí de shēng yīn 。
这一段时间内，各地忽的冒出许多反对天玄锁灵阵普及的声音。
Now, with such great effort and cost invested in constructing a Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array that would cover the entire territory, could it truly guarantee its effectiveness forever? If it were broken shortly after construction by the Five Elders' Alliance, wouldn't that be a huge embarrassment?
bìng qiě fā shēng de hái bìng bú shì shén me wú míng xiǎo zú 。
并且发声的还并不是什么无名小卒。
Moreover, these people also doubted whether the Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array could live up to its advertised claims.
duō shì zài gè gè zhōu yù ， zhàn jù zhòng yào wèi zhì de huà shén jí yǐ shàng xiū wèi de xiū shì 。
多是在各个州域，占据重要位置的化神及以上修为的修士。
Because the notorious Thousand-Faced Demon Sovereign, who had been haunting the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's territory, was becoming increasingly rampant.
bù zhī dào fā shēng le shén me ， zhè xiē zài bù jiǔ qián hái qí qí biǎo tài ， jué duì zhī chí suǒ líng zhèn jiàn zào jì huà de xiū shì men 。
不知道发生了什么，这些在不久前还齐齐表态，绝对支持锁灵阵建造计划的修士们。
Many high-ranking cultivators in various states fell victim to his machinations. Even in regions where the Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array had already been constructed, it only delayed his killings temporarily before he managed to escape.
què shì tū rán gǎi kǒu ， qí zhì xiān míng de biǎo shì le fǎn duì yì jiàn 。
却是突然改口，旗帜鲜明的表示了反对意见。
And even if they caught him, what then?
bìng qiě bìng fēi wèi fǎn ér fǎn ， fǎn ér shì yǒu zhe chōng fèn de lùn jù yǐ jí lǐ yóu 。
并且并非为反而反，反而是有着充分的论据以及理由。
Since the Five Elders' Alliance could cultivate a Thousand-Faced Demon Sovereign, they would surely be able to produce two, three, or more of them.
zhè shì tā men de guān diǎn ：
这是他们的观点：
The greatest significance of the Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array when it was first announced was that it would make all Five Elders' Alliance cultivators visible within the territory.
zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ， fán shì zhèn fǎ ， wú lùn rú hé jīng miào ， zǒng yǒu huì bèi cān tòu 、 pò jiě de yī tiān 。
众所周知，凡是阵法，无论如何精妙，总有会被参透、破解的一天。
Now?
guò qù de lì shǐ zhōng ， jiù céng jīng fā shēng guò bù shǎo fáng hù fǎ zhèn xiè lòu 、 ér wàn xiān méng què yī wú suǒ zhī 、 fǎn bèi duì fāng dǎ le gè cuò shǒu bù jí de shì qíng 。
过去的历史中，就曾经发生过不少防护法阵泄露、而万仙盟却一无所知、反被对方打了个措手不及的事情。
Others could openly wreak havoc in your territory while you were powerless to stop them.
zhè yě shì hòu lái ， fáng hù fǎ zhèn bì xū měi gé yī duàn shí jiān dōu yào zhěng tǐ gēng huàn de yuán yīn 。
这也是后来，防护法阵必须每隔一段时间都要整体更换的原因。
What use is this Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array then?
ér rú jīn wàn xiān méng dà fèi zhōu zhāng 、 bù jì chéng běn de jiàn zào lǒng zhào quán bù lǐng tǔ de tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn ， shì fǒu néng bǎo zhèng suǒ líng zhèn yǒng yuǎn yǒu xiào ？ ruò shì gāng gāng jiàn zào wán bù jiǔ ， jiù bèi wǔ lǎo huì nà biān fēn xī pò jiě le ， nà qǐ bù shì tiān dà de xiào huà ？
而如今万仙盟大费周章、不计成本的建造笼罩全部领土的天玄锁灵阵，是否能保证锁灵阵永远有效？若是刚刚建造完不久，就被五老会那边分析破解了，那岂不是天大的笑话？
It couldn't be denied; these viewpoints were indeed very reasonable, and when they questioned the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters, it resonated with many others.
chú cǐ zhī wài ， zhè xiē rén duì yú tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn shì fǒu néng dá dào xuān chuán zhōng de xiào guǒ ， yě shì chí huái yí tài dù 。
除此之外，这些人对于天玄锁灵阵是否能达到宣传中的效果，也是持怀疑态度。
The opposition grew stronger, but instead of punishing those who opposed, the alliance headquarters fell into an eerie silence.
yīn wèi ， nà míng yì zhí zài wàn xiān méng lǐng dì zhōng yīn hún bù sàn de 【 qiān miàn mó zūn 】， zuì jìn yuè fā chāng jué le 。
因为，那名一直在万仙盟领地中阴魂不散的【千面魔尊】，最近越发猖獗了。
Under this backdrop, the movements of the Thousand-Faced Demon Sovereign became even more elusive, and his killings became even more ruthless.
bù shǎo zhōu yù nèi shēn jū gāo wèi de xiū shì ， dōu nán táo tā de dú shǒu 。
不少州域内身居高位的修士，都难逃他的毒手。
Amidst internal and external pressures, Li Fan heard a curious story.
shèn zhì yǒu xiē yǐ jīng wán chéng tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn jiàn zào de zhōu ， yě zhǐ shì shāo wēi yán huǎn le xià tā de shā lù jié zòu 。
甚至有些已经完成天玄锁灵阵建造的州，也只是稍微延缓了下他的杀戮节奏。
As tensions escalated, the Lingyuan Sect in Jiushan State, which bordered the Five Elders' Alliance, was thriving. It had attracted considerable attention from many cultivators due to its unique cultivation method.
zuì zhōng hái shì ràng tā gěi liū zǒu le 。
最终还是让他给溜走了。
The special technique could accelerate the cultivation process as more people practiced it together. (End of Chapter)
Clearly, not just Li Fan was aware of this.
After the battle ended, looking at the remnants of the fallen wood that had been reduced to ashes in the raging flames, Yan Hang and his companions showed no signs of excitement.
"Damned monsters, they seem to have grown a bit stronger," Yan Hang said with an ugly expression on his face as he looked at the yellowish wound on his arm.
The other four also had some injuries.
"We should quickly report this battle situation to the higher-ups and hope that they can come up with good solutions soon. Otherwise, we won't last much longer." Li Shifeng, one of the cultivators, sighed and said.
Yan Hang snorted but did not refute him.
He opened the Supervening Record and began reporting his findings with his eyes closed.
Li Fan was also checking the Supervening Record.
Compared to when he first entered the Five Elements Immortal Cave Heaven, there were now much more detailed records here.
"The overall completion progress of the Great Array is 78%."
"Even faster than initially planned."
"But clearly, things have gotten out of hand here."
"What measures will the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance take next?"
Li Fan's eyes flashed as he continued his work.
Could the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance truly complete the Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array on time?
He almost knew for certain that they would.
Most of the active forces in the Five Elements Immortal Cave Heaven were currently Yuan婴 cultivators.
However, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was not short of Huashen cultivators.
Clearly, their efforts had yet to be fully exerted. If it became evident that current resources were insufficient to complete the task, the alliance would naturally increase its investment.
As for whether the cultivators in the Five Elements Immortal Cave Heaven could survive until reinforcements arrived, that was another matter entirely.
...
Just as Li Fan expected, the growing strength of the cave monsters caused widespread anxiety.
Qi Bu Yi quickly stepped forward to reassure everyone.
Firstly, she explained that due to the principle of mutual克制between the five elements, it would not be possible for a monster with all five attributes to appear. The most extreme scenario would only see four attribute monsters.
But this could only happen at the end stage of the Five Elements Return to One process.
The main threat they needed to address were still two or three attribute monsters.
Secondly, the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was already aware of the current situation in the Five Elements Immortal Cave Heaven.
Reinforcements would arrive soon.
And the scale of these reinforcements was enormous; their total number exceeded that of all cultivators currently working inside the cave.
Everyone needn't worry.
Although everyone held a skeptical attitude towards Qi Bu Yi's words, they were relieved to have received an explicit guarantee.
With their spirits somewhat soothed, they continued to work in trepidation, waiting for reinforcements.
Time passed under this tense atmosphere.
Two years had already passed since entering the Five Elements Immortal Cave Heaven.
During this period, there indeed were some reinforcements that arrived, but clearly not on the scale promised by Qi Bu Yi.
Upon inquiry, she often used various excuses to avoid providing details.
However, two new Heavens-Linking cultivators did arrive to bolster their ranks, which somewhat alleviated everyone's concerns.
Through these new reinforcements, they also learned why no significant reinforcements had arrived yet.
In the past two years, there were indeed many major events that occurred in the outside world.
Firstly, the Five Elders' Alliance reassembled its forces at the border and repeatedly showed signs of probing or provoking.
Unlike before, they did not seem to be planning a large-scale conflict but instead focused all their efforts on Fenglei Continent, which was separated from Tianling State by a vast sea.
According to rumors, it seemed that the Five Elders' Alliance coveted the mystique of the Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array and wanted to seize control of an entire continent from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance for comprehensive research.
But Li Fan knew this was just a facade.
The true target of the Five Elders' Alliance remained the Void that gave birth to the Five Elements Immortal Cave Heaven in Tianling State.
"Looks like the truth will eventually come out. Indeed, two years is enough time for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's activities in Tianling State to raise suspicion," Li Fan thought.
Apart from the pressure from the Five Elders' Alliance, things were also not quiet within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
During this period, many voices opposing the widespread implementation of the Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array suddenly emerged across various regions.
And these weren't just minor figures; they included many high-ranking cultivators in important positions across different states.
It was unclear what had happened, but these cultivators who had previously publicly supported the construction plan were now changing their stance and clearly opposing it with solid arguments.
...
Their viewpoint was as follows:
As everyone knew, no matter how ingenious an array might be, there would always come a day when it could be deciphered or broken.
In history, there had been cases where protective arrays' secrets leaked out, leaving the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance unaware and caught off guard.
This was why protective arrays needed to be completely replaced at regular intervals.
Now, with such great effort and cost invested in constructing a Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array that would cover the entire territory, could it truly guarantee its effectiveness forever? If it were broken shortly after construction by the Five Elders' Alliance, wouldn't that be a huge embarrassment?
Moreover, these people also doubted whether the Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array could live up to its advertised claims.
Because the notorious Thousand-Faced Demon Sovereign, who had been haunting the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's territory, was becoming increasingly rampant.
Many high-ranking cultivators in various states fell victim to his machinations. Even in regions where the Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array had already been constructed, it only delayed his killings temporarily before he managed to escape.
And even if they caught him, what then?
Since the Five Elders' Alliance could cultivate a Thousand-Faced Demon Sovereign, they would surely be able to produce two, three, or more of them.
The greatest significance of the Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array when it was first announced was that it would make all Five Elders' Alliance cultivators visible within the territory.
Now?
Others could openly wreak havoc in your territory while you were powerless to stop them.
What use is this Heaven Xuan Locking Spirit Array then?
It couldn't be denied; these viewpoints were indeed very reasonable, and when they questioned the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters, it resonated with many others.
The opposition grew stronger, but instead of punishing those who opposed, the alliance headquarters fell into an eerie silence.
Under this backdrop, the movements of the Thousand-Faced Demon Sovereign became even more elusive, and his killings became even more ruthless.
Amidst internal and external pressures, Li Fan heard a curious story.
As tensions escalated, the Lingyuan Sect in Jiushan State, which bordered the Five Elders' Alliance, was thriving. It had attracted considerable attention from many cultivators due to its unique cultivation method.
The special technique could accelerate the cultivation process as more people practiced it together. (End of Chapter)