Chapter 1036: Again Like a Turtle in a Jar

In the four central states of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, a remarkably distinct dividing line appeared between heaven and earth. On both sides of the dividing line, the landscapes on the ground and in the sky mirrored each other, as if a mirror had split the world. And the cracks spreading from this dividing line seemed to indicate that this realm was on the verge of collapse!

Witnessing this apocalyptic scene, Li Fan suddenly realized: "So, the four central states of the Myriad Immortals Alliance—Tianyu, Tianchen, Tianshu, and Tianquan—were actually forged from the true body of the Heavenly Profound Mirror!" "Using a mirror to transform the world..." Li Fan's expression gradually grew serious. Such crucial information had never been disclosed by the Heavenly Profound Mirror before. This either meant that the Heavenly Profound Mirror's desire for freedom was a lie, and it had merely put on an act for Li Fan and Mo Rubing, intending to lure them into a trap. Or, even the Heavenly Profound Mirror itself had forgotten that its true form had been used to create the lands of these four states.

His unease grew, and Mo Rubing had still not appeared. Li Fan originally intended to leave immediately, but as he quietly flew to the border of Tianquan State, he was startled to discover that the Devouring Mist, which had once spanned between heaven and earth, had vanished at some unknown point. In its place was an invisible light barrier, completely sealing off all four states! No entry or exit was possible! This scene immediately reminded Li Fan of his past experience: how he had frantically fled after first witnessing the Blazing Inferno Sea, only to find himself trapped and doomed in the Congyun Sea!

However, compared to then, Li Fan had matured significantly. Without excessive panic, Li Fan composed himself, returned to the center of Tianquan State, found a random cultivator's cave dwelling, and stealthily hid there. With the Doomsday Disintegration Disc, the array defenses of these cave dwellings were completely negligible to him. The architecture inside the cave dwelling was in the style of a waterside village courtyard, with no signs of a cultivator's residence. It was likely one of the numerous properties owned by the cave dwelling's master. Nevertheless, all necessary facilities were present. Li Fan found a Heavenly Profound Sub-mirror and cautiously tested the Heavenly Profound Mirror's source essence he carried.

"It hasn't failed," he noted. "Many topics about the anomalies in the four states appeared in the Heavenly Profound Mirror, but they were locked and deleted the moment they surfaced. Fortunately, I can still view the speech records." Li Fan quickly scanned the information in the Heavenly Profound Mirror.

"What's going on? Is the sky falling?" "It can't be the Council of Five Elders attacking again, can it? I said it before, after suffering such a massive loss last time, there's no way they'd just let it go!" "All teleportation methods are useless, no entry or exit! The central four states are completely sealed off!" "Fellow Daoists, it's best to take refuge in your cave dwellings for now and not venture out rashly. That's all I have to say..." Most of these were worthless remarks posted by cultivators in their panic. However, with such a large number of cultivators posting, Li Fan still managed to find some useful information.

"Something big has happened! I just came out of the Immortal Alliance Headquarters, and it seems like a fight has broken out inside!" "Stop spreading rumors here. How could anyone dare to fight unauthorized in a place as crucial as the Immortal Alliance Headquarters?" "I saw it with my own eyes! Just as I was about to leave, I heard a massive explosion. Then I faintly saw hundreds of figures suddenly erupting! So close, I almost couldn't get out." The conversation ended abruptly here. Similarly, there were records of some cultivators asking about being suddenly expelled from the Immortal Alliance Headquarters.

"Consistent with the plan discussed with Mo Rubing..." Li Fan pondered for a moment, then took out a white jade horn and crushed it forcefully. Moments later, a sharp sound, audible only to specific cultivators, spread out from that location. This was the signal for the Council of Five Elders' deathsworn to act. From a distance, Li Fan saw nearly a hundred black figures flying into the Immortal Alliance Headquarters through the cracks between heaven and earth. He, however, cautiously moved to another cave dwelling to hide.

"I wonder what's really happening inside," he thought. Li Fan did not act rashly before understanding the situation. Instead, he chose to observe quietly. The rumbling sounds between heaven and earth grew louder. The accumulated cracks became more numerous and horrifying, as if the entire world could genuinely split apart at any moment. What further alarmed the cultivators of the four states was that despite such a major upheaval, no one from the Immortal Alliance Headquarters had yet come forward to explain the situation or offer reassurance. This state of fear lasted for a full half-incense stick's time.

The successive thunderous explosions gradually subsided, and the cracks spanning heaven and earth slowly closed. A cultivator appeared in the sky; Li Fan instantly recognized this person. It was Chen, one of the Transmitters of Dharma. His expression was stern, his eyes revealing killing intent. Chen's voice, like thunder, spread throughout the realm, announcing that the minor disturbance within the Immortal Alliance had been quelled and there was no need to panic. However, to thoroughly investigate the accomplices of the perpetrators, the lockdown of the four states would not be lifted yet. Cultivators in the four states were urged to cooperate with the investigation. After speaking, Chen quickly departed, vanishing from the sky, leaving behind the cultivators of the four states, murmuring in discussion, their minds unsettled.

"Could Mo Rubing have been captured?" Li Fan couldn't help but wonder. But then he thought, Mo Rubing's cultivation technique was peculiar; even if exposed, he probably wouldn't be easily captured. This brought him some slight relief. For the next three days, Li Fan remained hidden in his new hiding place, maintaining the highest vigilance to avoid exposure. During this time, black-clad cultivators from the Myriad Immortals Alliance came to search, but they failed to discover the hidden Li Fan. Li Fan also noticed that these black-clad cultivators seemed to be merely going through the motions. After a cursory search, they moved on to the next location.

"Interesting," he mused. Observing their demeanor, Li Fan became thoughtful. The lockdown and extensive search continued for ten days. Initially, the cultivators of the four states were somewhat cooperative, but as time passed, hope for a return to normalcy dwindled. Voices of dissatisfaction gradually spread. Cultivators residing within these four states were undeniably the most core and important part of the Myriad Immortals Alliance. Such an unjustified lockdown was bound to be short-lived.

Ten days later, facing the increasingly strong wave of opposition, the Immortal Alliance finally lifted the restrictions on the four states. The mirrored ground scenes in the sky slowly faded, and the white mist barriers reappeared at the borders of the four states. However, the massive cracks, stretching from heaven to earth, did not disappear. Like wounds upon the world, they served as a constant reminder to the cultivators of the recent upheaval and the unreality of this realm. Li Fan did not flee immediately; he remained hidden in the cave dwelling. More than a month later, when the impact of the incident finally subsided and people were barely talking about it anymore, he quietly departed. From beginning to end, he received no message from Mo Rubing. Neither a call for help nor a warning. Nothing at all. Li Fan then made another trip to Weidu, where the human avatar of the Heavenly Profound Mirror resided. There was no longer any sign of that human avatar.