zhèn fǎ de dǐ céng gòu zào bìng bù xiāng tóng ， dàn shì nà zhǒng yōu bì 、 fēng suǒ yī qiè de yì wèi ， què shì rú chū yī zhé 。
阵法的底层构造并不相同，但是那种幽闭、封锁一切的意味，却是如出一辙。
The underlying structure of the array formations was different, yet they all carried a similar sense of confinement and isolation.
shèn zhì lǐ fán kě yǐ wǔ duàn de zuò chū cāi cè ， tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn de líng gǎn lái yuán ， huò xǔ jiù shì zhè 【 xuán tiān suǒ yōu zhèn 】。
甚至李凡可以武断的做出猜测，天玄锁灵阵的灵感来源，或许就是这【玄天锁幽阵】。
Li Fan could even make an educated guess that the inspiration for the Heavenly Locking Spirit Array might have come from this [Heavenly Locking Shadow Array].
xuán tiān yī cí ， zé shì hěn nán bù ràng lǐ fán lián xiǎng dào nà yǐ jīng xiāo shī zài lì shǐ cháng hé zhōng de xuán tiān jiào 。
玄天一词，则是很难不让李凡联想到那已经消失在历史长河中的玄天教。
The term "Heavenly" couldn't help but remind Li Fan of the now vanished Heavens School, which had once existed in history.
「 nán bù chéng ， shì jiān guǐ yì ， jìng rán kě yǐ yì zhí zhuī shuò dào xuán tiān jiào shàng zài de shí qī ？」
「难不成，世间诡异，竟然可以一直追朔到玄天教尚在的时期？」
"Could it be that the world's anomalies can be traced back to a time when the Heavens School still existed?"
「 nà qǐ bù shì yì wèi zhe ， huò xǔ zài yǔn xiān jìng zhōng ， yě néng zāo yù guǐ yì ？」
「那岂不是意味着，或许在陨仙境中，也能遭遇诡异？」
"And wouldn't that mean we might encounter anomalies within the Void Realm as well?"
lǐ fán yī biān cān wù zhe zhèn tú ， yī biān sī wéi fā sàn zhe 。
李凡一边参悟着阵图，一边思维发散着。
While pondering over the array diagram, Li Fan's thoughts expanded. The array was crafted using some special technique and encrypted with several prohibitions, making it impossible for outsiders to fully understand its structure.
zhèn tú shì yóu mǒu zhǒng tè bié de shǒu duàn zhì zuò ér chéng ， jīng guò shù zhǒng jìn zhì de jiā mì ， wài rén wú fǎ kuī shì suǒ yōu zhèn de wán zhěng jié gòu 。
阵图是由某种特别的手段制作而成，经过数种禁制的加密，外人无法窥视锁幽阵的完整结构。
Non-experts could operate it in a simple manner to output the array externally.
kě yǐ ràng bù jīng tōng zhèn fǎ zhī rén ， tōng guò shǎ guā shì de cāo zuò ， duì wài shū chū zhèn fǎ 。
可以让不精通阵法之人，通过傻瓜式的操作，对外输出阵法。
"This is quite ingenious!" After much study, Li Fan temporarily abandoned his idea of obtaining the complete structure of the Shadow Locking Array. He sighed slightly.
「 cǐ wù shèn miào ！」 yán jiū xǔ jiǔ ， lǐ fán zàn shí fàng qì le huò qǔ suǒ yōu zhèn wán zhěng jié gòu de xiǎng fǎ ， wēi wēi gǎn tàn dào 。
「此物甚妙！」研究许久，李凡暂时放弃了获取锁幽阵完整结构的想法，微微感叹道。
Taking advantage of an opportunity during routine inspections of construction progress, Li Fan inscribed the [Heavenly Locking Shadow Array] into the slowly forming Cloudy City.
zài rì cháng xún chá jiàn zào jìn dù de jiàn xì ， chèn zhe wú rén zhù yì ， lǐ fán jiāng 【 xuán tiān suǒ yōu zhèn 】 kè zài màn màn chéng xíng de cóng yún xiān chéng zhōng 。
在日常巡查建造进度的间隙，趁着无人注意，李凡将【玄天锁幽阵】刻在慢慢成型的丛云仙城中。
Just as Li Fan was exerting himself to build a floating city, far away in the Five Elders' territory, the consciousness attached to the puppet's body was also experiencing some discomfort.
zhèng dāng lǐ fán wèi le jiàn zào xuán kōng chéng ér dān jīng jié lǜ de shí hòu ， yuǎn zài wàn wàn lǐ zhī wài de wǔ lǎo huì lǐng dì nèi ， nà sī fù zhuó zài kuǐ lěi shēn qū shàng de yì shí ， yě shì guò dé yǒu xiē tòng kǔ 。
正当李凡为了建造悬空城而殚精竭虑的时候，远在万万里之外的五老会领地内，那丝附着在傀儡身躯上的意识，也是过得有些痛苦。
More than two months had passed since he first heard the scholar lecture from his bamboo pavilion. He hadn't gained much insight into the Five Elders' situation but was forced to remember many tales of how cultivators transformed the world in the Human Dao Heavenly Realm.
zì cóng lái dào zhú shě qián ， tīng shū shēng jiǎng kè ， yǐ jīng zú zú guò qù le kuài liǎng gè duō yuè de shí jiān 。
自从来到竹舍前，听书生讲课，已经足足过去了快两个多月的时间。
Lady Wang Linlang loved beauty and vowed "No white hair for humans." As a result, even elderly people in the Human Dao Heavenly Realm had black hair.
duì yú wǔ lǎo huì de jù tǐ qíng xíng ， méi yǒu zēng tiān duō shǎo liǎo jiě 。
对于五老会的具体情形，没有增添多少了解。
Yue Chengjin was heartbroken after his lover left him. He cursed that "All lovers would end up as brother and sister," leading to various tragic love stories over several decades. Fortunately, a couple's sincere wishes eventually changed this rule back.
fǎn dào shì bèi pò jì xià le xǔ duō 【 rén dào tiān jìng 】 zhōng ， xiū shì gǎi tiān huàn dì de chuán shuō 。
反倒是被迫记下了许多【人道天境】中，修士改天换地的传说。
Qu Su loved fishing but often returned empty-handed. He made a vow that all fish in the world would bite any bait. Consequently, everyone became an expert at fishing.
wáng lín láng ài měi ， shì yào 「 bù xǔ rén jiān jiàn bái tóu 」， yú shì rén dào tiān jìng zhī nèi ， nǎ pà mào dié fán rén ， yě shì mǎn tóu zèng liàng hēi fà 。
王琳琅爱美，誓要「不许人间见白头」，于是人道天境之内，哪怕耄耋凡人，也是满头锃亮黑发。
...
yuè chéng jìn bèi xīn shàng rén pāo qì ， xīn shēng yuàn hèn ， yú shì zǔ zhòu 「 tiān xià yǒu qíng rén zhōng chéng xiōng mèi 」。 dǎo zhì le jǐ shí nián nèi ， gè zhǒng bù lún ài qíng bēi jù de fā shēng 。 hái hǎo ， zuì zhōng zài yī duì zhēn xīn xiāng ài de qíng lǚ de yuàn lì xià ，「 zhōng chéng xiōng mèi 」 de guī zé ， bèi biàn le huí qù 。
岳承晋被心上人抛弃，心生怨恨，于是诅咒「天下有情人终成兄妹」。导致了几十年内，各种不伦爱情悲剧的发生。还好，最终在一对真心相爱的情侣的愿力下，「终成兄妹」的规则，被变了回去。
All of these tales were endless and initially amusing, but after three months, they began to wear thin on Li Fan.
qū sū ài diào yú ， nài hé shí cháng kōng shǒu ér guī 。 yú shì fā hóng yuàn ， tiān xià yú lèi ， jiàn ěr bì yǎo 。 yú shì rén rén jiē chéng diào yú dà shī 。
屈苏爱钓鱼，奈何时常空手而归。于是发宏愿，天下鱼类，见饵必咬。于是人人皆成钓鱼大师。
Like his fellow cultivators gathered around the bamboo pavilion, Li Fan couldn't control his body either. He couldn't block out the scholar's voice and was forced to accept it.
……
……
Moreover, he found that whatever the scholar said seemed deeply ingrained in his mind, making it impossible for him to forget.
fán cǐ zhǒng zhǒng ， shǔ bù shèng shǔ 。 chū tīng shàng jué yǒu qù ， dàn shì yī lián tīng shàng sān gè yuè ， zì rán shì yǒu xiē shòu bù liǎo 。
凡此种种，数不胜数。初听尚觉有趣，但是一连听上三个月，自然是有些受不了。
Thus, everyone accepted the scholar's "brainwashing" with a sense of discomfort.
nài hé hé zhú lóu qián de yī zhòng xiū shì yī yàng ， lǐ fán què shì wú fǎ kòng zhì zì jǐ de shēn qū 。
奈何和竹楼前的一众修士一样，李凡却是无法控制自己的身躯。
After speaking for a long time, the scholar finally felt a bit weary.
xiǎng yào píng bì shū shēng de huà yǔ shēng yě shì zuò bú dào ， zhǐ dé bèi pò jiē shòu 。
想要屏蔽书生的话语声也是做不到，只得被迫接受。
He stood up and stretched. "As they say, seeing is believing. Even if I were to speak for a hundred years, it wouldn't be as effective as you going out and experiencing it yourself."
shèn zhì lǐ fán hái fā xiàn ， fán shū shēng suǒ shuō ， quán dōu xiàng shì bèi shēn shēn kè zài nǎo zi lǐ yī yàng ， xiǎng yào wàng què dōu wú fǎ zuò dào 。
甚至李凡还发现，凡书生所说，全都像是被深深刻在脑子里一样，想要忘却都无法做到。
The scholar smiled kindly at the gathered Five Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators: "I will give you three years. During this time, you can freely travel anywhere within the Five Elders' territory."
yú shì zhòng rén jiē shì mǎn liǎn biē qū de ， jiē shòu shū shēng de xǐ nǎo 。
于是众人皆是满脸憋屈的，接受书生的洗脑。
"Three years later, return here and tell me your thoughts on the Five Elders' organization."
zhè yī tiān ， jiǎng le xǔ jiǔ de shū shēng zhōng yú gǎn dào le yī sī pí juàn 。
这一天，讲了许久的书生终于感到了一丝疲倦。
With that said, he turned around and slowly walked back into the bamboo pavilion.
tā zhàn qǐ le shēn ， shēn le gè lǎn yāo 。
他站起了身，伸了个懒腰。
As the bamboo door slammed shut, everyone felt their restraints disappear.
「 sú huà shuō ， bǎi wén bù rú yī jiàn 。 wǒ nǎ pà zài shuō bǎi nián ， yě bù rú nǐ men qù qīn zì zǒu yī zǒu 、 kàn yī kàn 。」
「俗话说，百闻不如一见。我哪怕再说百年，也不如你们去亲自走一走、看一看。」
"What does this mean? Are we really being released?"
shū shēng kàn zhe zài chǎng de wàn xiān méng xiū shì ， lù chū le hé ǎi de xiào róng ：「 wǒ gěi nǐ men sān nián shí jiān 。 zhè sān nián nèi ， nǐ men kě yǐ zì yóu qián wǎng wǔ lǎo huì guǎn xiá xià de rèn hé dì fāng 。」
书生看着在场的万仙盟修士，露出了和蔼的笑容：「我给你们三年时间。这三年内，你们可以自由前往五老会管辖下的任何地方。」
The Five Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators were surprised and uncertain.
「 sān nián zhī hòu ， nǐ men huì huí dào zhè lǐ 。 dào shí hòu ， xī wàng nǐ men qīn kǒu gào sù wǒ ， duì wǔ lǎo huì de kàn fǎ 。」
「三年之后，你们会回到这里。到时候，希望你们亲口告诉我，对五老会的看法。」
"Is there some hidden plot?"
shuō bà ， shū shēng biàn zhuǎn shēn ， huǎn huǎn zǒu jìn zhú lóu zhī zhōng 。
说罢，书生便转身，缓缓走进竹楼之中。
"This friend must be scared. He's acting like a frightened rabbit."
suí zhe zhú mén hōng rán guān bì ， zhòng rén shēn shàng de shù fù yě suí zhī xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
随着竹门轰然关闭，众人身上的束缚也随之消失不见。
"Now that we are like meat on the chopping block, why would they need any tricks to deal with us?"
「 shén me yì si ？ zhè jiù fàng wǒ men lí kāi le ？」
「什么意思？这就放我们离开了？」
"Humph! Why boost others' morale while crushing our own?"
wàn xiān méng zhòng rén jīng yí bù dìng 。
万仙盟众人惊疑不定。
"Haha, in my opinion, Fellow Daoist Lu Fan just said something harsh but it makes sense," and so on.
「 shì bú shì yǒu shén me yīn móu ？」
「是不是有什么阴谋？」
Despite their chatter, no one dared to leave the valley. Li Fan shook his head and ignored them, walking directly towards where he had come from, drawing curious glances from everyone.
「 zhè wèi dào yǒu zhēn shì bèi xià pà le ， yī jīng yī zhà de 。 rú jīn wǒ men bù jiù shì zhēn bǎn shàng de ròu ， rèn rén zǎi gē 。 duì fù wǒ men hái yòng de zhe shǐ shén me yīn móu ？」
「这位道友真是被吓怕了，一惊一乍的。如今我们不就是砧板上的肉，任人宰割。对付我们还用的着使什么阴谋？」
The farther away he got from the bamboo house, the more his compressed body began to return to normal.
「 hēng ！ hé gù zhǎng tā rén zhì qì ， miè zì jǐ wēi fēng ！」
「哼！何故长他人志气，灭自己威风！」
There was no hindrance except for this.
「 hē hē ， yī wǒ kàn ， lǚ fàn dào yǒu gāng gāng de huà suī rán nán tīng le diǎn ， dàn shì shuō de què hěn yǒu dào lǐ 。」
「呵呵，依我看，吕范道友刚刚的话虽然难听了点，但是说的却很有道理。」
Exiting the long tunnel, arriving at the cave entrance, Li Fan found that the guards who had been watching him were also gone.
……
……
Flying up into the air, he tried to locate the Ten Thousand Immortals Island. However, where the island used to be, there was now nothing but an empty space with no trace left behind.
zhòng rén suī rán qī zuǐ bā shé ， dàn jìng shì wú yī rén gǎn qǐ shēn ， lí kāi cǐ chù shān gǔ 。
众人虽然七嘴八舌，但竟是无一人敢起身，离开此处山谷。
"I wonder if the Five Elders have finally found what they wanted."
lǐ fán wēi wēi yáo tóu ， yě bù guǎn tā men 。
李凡微微摇头，也不管他们。
Li Fan's gaze swept around, feeling a sense of loneliness in this vast world, wondering where he should go.
jìng zhí cháo zhe lái shí de fāng xiàng zǒu qù ， yǐn dé zhòng rén cè mù ér shì 。
径直朝着来时的方向走去，引得众人侧目而视。
Just as he was lost in thought, his mind suddenly registered something amiss.
lí zhú wū yuè yuǎn ， bèi yā suō jí xiǎo de shēn qū yě zài màn màn huī fù zhèng cháng 。
离竹屋越远，被压缩极小的身躯也在慢慢恢复正常。
He wasn't one to be melancholic. Why would such thoughts arise?
chú cǐ zhī wài ， méi yǒu shòu dào rèn hé zǔ lán 。
除此之外，没有受到任何阻拦。
The scholar's image flashed through his mind.
zǒu chū cháng cháng de suì dào ， dào dá le shān dòng zhī wài ， lǐ fán fā xiàn xiān qián nà xiē fù zé kān yā de jiǎ wèi xiū shì ， yě shì méi le shēn yǐng 。
走出长长的隧道，到达了山洞之外，李凡发现先前那些负责看押的甲胃修士，也是没了身影。
Was it him?
fēi shēn zhì bàn kōng ， shì tú xún zhǎo wàn xiān dǎo de zōng jì 。
飞身至半空，试图寻找万仙岛的踪迹。
When Li Fan was deep in thought, he heard a distant call from below: "Fellow Daoist Jiao! Fellow Daoist Jiao!"
kě shì yuán xiān wàn xiān dǎo suǒ zài ， yǐ rán shì kōng dàng dàng yī piàn ， lián sī háo hén jì dōu méi liú xià 。
可是原先万仙岛所在，已然是空荡荡一片，连丝毫痕迹都没留下。
Startled, Li Fan realized the voice was for him.
「 yě bù zhī wǔ lǎo huì xiǎng yào de dōng xī zuì zhōng zhǎo dào méi yǒu 。」
「也不知五老会想要的东西最终找到没有。」
Looking towards the source of the sound, he saw Fellow Daoist Lu Fan emerging from the cave. "Where are you going, Fellow Daoist Jiao? Let's travel together," Lu Fan said as he found Li Fan and hurriedly followed.
lǐ fán mù guāng sǎo shì zhōu wéi ， bù jīn shēng chū le tiān dì suī guǎng 、 què bù zhī yào guī hé chù de jì liáo zhī gǎn 。
李凡目光扫视周围，不禁生出了天地虽广、却不知要归何处的寂寥之感。
Seeing Li Fan staring at him without replying, Lu Fan explained: "The Five Elders' territory is vast, not inferior to the Five Thousand Immortals Alliance. In a foreign land, it's wise to travel in pairs for mutual support."
zhèng àn zì shāng gǎn ， hū de yì shí dào le bú duì 。
正暗自伤感，忽的意识到了不对。
"I've heard that the [Land of Bliss] within the Five Elders' territories is the most desirable. It offers countless wonders and the Worry-Free Crystal, which makes one feel like an immortal, ascending to bliss," Lu Fan said excitedly.
zì jǐ kě bú shì bēi chūn shāng qiū 、 gù zuò zī tài zhī rén ， zěn me huì mò míng chǎn shēng zhè zhǒng xiǎng fǎ ？
自己可不是悲春伤秋、故作姿态之人，怎么会莫名产生这种想法？
Li Fan stared at him for a moment before asking: "I recall you were previously serving as the [Recorder] in the Administration Hall of Cloudy Sea. Now that you've regained your freedom from the Five Thousand Immortals Alliance, why are you eager to join the Five Elders' organization instead of returning home?"
nǎo zi lǐ bù jīn shǎn guò shū shēng de shēn yǐng 。
脑子里不禁闪过书生的身影。
Lu Fan was momentarily stunned.
shì tā ？
是他？
Then beads of sweat began to drip from his forehead as his face turned pale.
lǐ fán zhèng àn zì xīn jīng de shí hòu ， hū de tīng wén xià fāng yuǎn yuǎn chuán lái hū hǎn shēng ：「 jiāo dào yǒu ， jiāo dào yǒu ！」
李凡正暗自心惊的时候，忽的听闻下方远远传来呼喊声：「焦道友，焦道友！」
Seeing this, Li Fan knew what had happened.
lèng le lèng ， lǐ fán fāng cái fǎn yìng guò lái shì hǎn zì jǐ 。
愣了愣，李凡方才反应过来是喊自己。
"Sure enough, that scholar's doing."
cháo zhe shēng yīn chuán lái de fāng xiàng wàng qù ， lǐ fán fā xiàn zhèng shì nà wèi jiào zuò lǚ fàn de xiū shì 。
朝着声音传来的方向望去，李凡发现正是那位叫做吕范的修士。
"The Five Elders have a knack for manipulating people."
「 jiāo dào yǒu yù wǎng hé chù ？ bù rú wǒ men yì qǐ tóng háng ？」 lǚ fàn gēn zhe zǒu chū shān dòng ， kàn le yī quān ， zhǎo dào le lǐ fán ， máng bù dié de gēn le guò lái 。
「焦道友欲往何处？不如我们一起同行？」吕范跟着走出山洞，看了一圈，找到了李凡，忙不迭的跟了过来。
Lu Fan muttered: "What a clever move. Without your reminder, I might not have noticed it now."
jiàn lǐ fán kàn zhe zì jǐ 、 bù dá huà ， lǚ fàn jiě shì dào ：「 wǔ lǎo huì lǐng dì guǎng mào ， bù zài wàn xiān méng zhī xià 。 yì yù tā xiāng ， rén shēng dì bù shú 。 jié bàn ér xíng ， hǎo dǎi hù xiāng yǒu gè zhào yìng 。」
见李凡看着自己、不答话，吕范解释道：「五老会领地广袤，不在万仙盟之下。异域他乡，人生地不熟。结伴而行，好歹互相有个照应。」
After a moment, Lu Fan sighed deeply.
「 wǒ tīng wén ， wǔ lǎo huì zhū yù ， yǐ 【 wú yōu lè tǔ 】 zuì shì ràng rén xiàng wǎng 。 bù jǐn yǒu zhǒng zhǒng bù kě sī yì de xiǎng lè miào shì ， gèng yǒu wú yōu jīng gé zhè děng qí wù ， fú zhī piāo piāo shì xiān 、 páng dēng jí lè ……」 lǚ fàn yǔ qì yǒu xiē xīng fèn 。
「我听闻，五老会诸域，以【无忧乐土】最是让人向往。不仅有种种不可思议的享乐妙事，更有无忧晶格这等奇物，服之飘飘似仙、彷登极乐……」吕范语气有些兴奋。
"No wonder the Five Elders are so confident letting us go. Even if I am aware my thoughts have been influenced, I still can't change them."
lǐ fán zé shì dīng zhe tā kàn le yī huì ， wèn dào ：「 wǒ jì de dào yǒu ， zhī qián shì dān rèn cóng yún hǎi bù zhèng táng 【 lù shì 】 yī zhí 。 jì shí wàn xiān méng fèng lù ， rú jīn chóng huò zì yóu ， wèi hé bù sī fù guī gù tǔ ？ fǎn dào shì yī fù pò bù jí dài dì xiǎng yào jiā rù wǔ lǎo huì de mú yàng ？」
李凡则是盯着他看了一会，问道：「我记得道友，之前是担任丛云海布政堂【录事】一职。既食万仙盟俸禄，如今重获自由，为何不思复归故土？反倒是一副迫不及待地想要加入五老会的模样？」
"Even knowing that the Five Thousand Immortals Alliance is my home, I can't bring myself to return..."
lǚ fàn wén yán ， dǒu rán lèng zhù 。
吕范闻言，陡然愣住。
Lu Fan was babbling when he suddenly realized Li Fan had flown off in the distance.
ér hòu é tóu yǒu gǔn gǔn hàn zhū dī lù ， miàn sè biàn dé cǎn bái wú bǐ 。
而后额头有滚滚汗珠滴露，面色变得惨白无比。
"Fellow Daoist Jiao! Take me with you!"
lǐ fán jiàn zhuàng ， zé shì xīn lǐ yǒu shù le 。
李凡见状，则是心里有数了。
"Directly to the One Heart Immortal Sect!" Li Fan replied without looking back.
The underlying structure of the array formations was different, yet they all carried a similar sense of confinement and isolation.
Li Fan could even make an educated guess that the inspiration for the Heavenly Locking Spirit Array might have come from this [Heavenly Locking Shadow Array].
The term "Heavenly" couldn't help but remind Li Fan of the now vanished Heavens School, which had once existed in history.
"Could it be that the world's anomalies can be traced back to a time when the Heavens School still existed?"
"And wouldn't that mean we might encounter anomalies within the Void Realm as well?"
While pondering over the array diagram, Li Fan's thoughts expanded. The array was crafted using some special technique and encrypted with several prohibitions, making it impossible for outsiders to fully understand its structure.
Non-experts could operate it in a simple manner to output the array externally.
"This is quite ingenious!" After much study, Li Fan temporarily abandoned his idea of obtaining the complete structure of the Shadow Locking Array. He sighed slightly.
Taking advantage of an opportunity during routine inspections of construction progress, Li Fan inscribed the [Heavenly Locking Shadow Array] into the slowly forming Cloudy City.
Just as Li Fan was exerting himself to build a floating city, far away in the Five Elders' territory, the consciousness attached to the puppet's body was also experiencing some discomfort.
More than two months had passed since he first heard the scholar lecture from his bamboo pavilion. He hadn't gained much insight into the Five Elders' situation but was forced to remember many tales of how cultivators transformed the world in the Human Dao Heavenly Realm.
Lady Wang Linlang loved beauty and vowed "No white hair for humans." As a result, even elderly people in the Human Dao Heavenly Realm had black hair.
Yue Chengjin was heartbroken after his lover left him. He cursed that "All lovers would end up as brother and sister," leading to various tragic love stories over several decades. Fortunately, a couple's sincere wishes eventually changed this rule back.
Qu Su loved fishing but often returned empty-handed. He made a vow that all fish in the world would bite any bait. Consequently, everyone became an expert at fishing.
...
All of these tales were endless and initially amusing, but after three months, they began to wear thin on Li Fan.
Like his fellow cultivators gathered around the bamboo pavilion, Li Fan couldn't control his body either. He couldn't block out the scholar's voice and was forced to accept it.
Moreover, he found that whatever the scholar said seemed deeply ingrained in his mind, making it impossible for him to forget.
Thus, everyone accepted the scholar's "brainwashing" with a sense of discomfort.
After speaking for a long time, the scholar finally felt a bit weary.
He stood up and stretched. "As they say, seeing is believing. Even if I were to speak for a hundred years, it wouldn't be as effective as you going out and experiencing it yourself."
The scholar smiled kindly at the gathered Five Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators: "I will give you three years. During this time, you can freely travel anywhere within the Five Elders' territory."
"Three years later, return here and tell me your thoughts on the Five Elders' organization."
With that said, he turned around and slowly walked back into the bamboo pavilion.
As the bamboo door slammed shut, everyone felt their restraints disappear.
"What does this mean? Are we really being released?"
The Five Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators were surprised and uncertain.
"Is there some hidden plot?"
"This friend must be scared. He's acting like a frightened rabbit."
"Now that we are like meat on the chopping block, why would they need any tricks to deal with us?"
"Humph! Why boost others' morale while crushing our own?"
"Haha, in my opinion, Fellow Daoist Lu Fan just said something harsh but it makes sense," and so on.
Despite their chatter, no one dared to leave the valley. Li Fan shook his head and ignored them, walking directly towards where he had come from, drawing curious glances from everyone.
The farther away he got from the bamboo house, the more his compressed body began to return to normal.
There was no hindrance except for this.
Exiting the long tunnel, arriving at the cave entrance, Li Fan found that the guards who had been watching him were also gone.
Flying up into the air, he tried to locate the Ten Thousand Immortals Island. However, where the island used to be, there was now nothing but an empty space with no trace left behind.
"I wonder if the Five Elders have finally found what they wanted."
Li Fan's gaze swept around, feeling a sense of loneliness in this vast world, wondering where he should go.
Just as he was lost in thought, his mind suddenly registered something amiss.
He wasn't one to be melancholic. Why would such thoughts arise?
The scholar's image flashed through his mind.
Was it him?
When Li Fan was deep in thought, he heard a distant call from below: "Fellow Daoist Jiao! Fellow Daoist Jiao!"
Startled, Li Fan realized the voice was for him.
Looking towards the source of the sound, he saw Fellow Daoist Lu Fan emerging from the cave. "Where are you going, Fellow Daoist Jiao? Let's travel together," Lu Fan said as he found Li Fan and hurriedly followed.
Seeing Li Fan staring at him without replying, Lu Fan explained: "The Five Elders' territory is vast, not inferior to the Five Thousand Immortals Alliance. In a foreign land, it's wise to travel in pairs for mutual support."
"I've heard that the [Land of Bliss] within the Five Elders' territories is the most desirable. It offers countless wonders and the Worry-Free Crystal, which makes one feel like an immortal, ascending to bliss," Lu Fan said excitedly.
Li Fan stared at him for a moment before asking: "I recall you were previously serving as the [Recorder] in the Administration Hall of Cloudy Sea. Now that you've regained your freedom from the Five Thousand Immortals Alliance, why are you eager to join the Five Elders' organization instead of returning home?"
Lu Fan was momentarily stunned.
Then beads of sweat began to drip from his forehead as his face turned pale.
Seeing this, Li Fan knew what had happened.
"Sure enough, that scholar's doing."
"The Five Elders have a knack for manipulating people."
Lu Fan muttered: "What a clever move. Without your reminder, I might not have noticed it now."
After a moment, Lu Fan sighed deeply.
"No wonder the Five Elders are so confident letting us go. Even if I am aware my thoughts have been influenced, I still can't change them."
"Even knowing that the Five Thousand Immortals Alliance is my home, I can't bring myself to return..."
Lu Fan was babbling when he suddenly realized Li Fan had flown off in the distance.
"Fellow Daoist Jiao! Take me with you!"
"Directly to the One Heart Immortal Sect!" Li Fan replied without looking back.