Chapter 1087: 异界寻幽记

"You mean you've become dumber?" Hundred Flowers Daoist stared blankly at Ingenious Craftsman.

"Probably..."

Before Ingenious Craftsman could finish, Hundred Flowers interrupted, "Compared to when we started, I haven't noticed any significant changes in myself. Could this be a personal issue for you?"

Ingenious Craftsman was speechless upon hearing this.

"Guessing won't help. We should try it ourselves," Fang Zaiji said, his eyes gleaming with eagerness.

Everyone started talking at once.

Li Fan finally offered a conclusion: "Returning the power of the Nether is not as simple as we imagine."

"If we merely absorb it, we might end up like Mo Rubin, being corrupted by it instead."

"Furthermore, the Nether Expanse is currently controlled by the Myriad Immortals Alliance. Gaining access for research..."

"They likely won't permit it."

Liu Ruchen said, "Didn't the Envoy mention that the Myriad Immortals Alliance also gained access to the Nether Expanse through some kind of ceremony involving the Netherkind?"

"Do you remember the specifics of that ceremony? If we could mimic it, perhaps we could sneak in as well."

"After all, the Nether Expanse is completely dark inside. As long as we're careful, they won't detect us."

Hearing this, Fang Zaiji quickly agreed, "Sect Master, that's an excellent suggestion! It's definitely worth a try!"

Li Fan pondered for a moment, then used the Water Mirror Technique to perfectly recreate the strange ritual, including its syllables and intonations.

After selecting over a dozen young cultivators to learn it, the ritual, as expected, failed.

"So it really has to be those Netherkind?" Fang Zaiji cursed under his breath.

The members of the Alliance also shook their heads, feeling a sense of regret.

"Netherkind, huh..."

Li Fan already possessed basic information on all the minor worlds within the Xuanhuang Realm.

However, there was no information about the Netherkind among them, suggesting the Myriad Immortals Alliance had deliberately concealed it.

"No matter. We just need to eliminate the possibilities one by one."

During the search for Xu Ke, most of the minor worlds had already been subjected to preliminary investigation.

Finishing the rest wouldn't take much more time.

At Li Fan's command, countless inconspicuous exotic beasts swarmed towards the entrances of various minor worlds.

Just half a month later, news arrived.

The last images transmitted before the beasts were eliminated revealed traces of what appeared to be Netherkind.

There must have been Myriad Immortals Alliance guards in that minor world.

Li Fan personally led Tian Yang to infiltrate it.

He remained very interested in the power of the Nether.

Not only because it might offer a way to escape the Immortal Ruins, but also because of its connection to what was called 'completeness'.

Li Fan had always harbored doubts about Mo Rubin's demise.

It was hard for Li Fan to believe that the cunning Heavenly Mystic Sect Dharma King, who had tricked him repeatedly, had simply died in such a confused manner within the darkness.

Especially the reason he would enter the Nether Expanse.

Mo Rubin's objective should have remained unchanged from beginning to end.

That was to find Heavenly Mystic King and leave the Sea of Utmost Darkness.

Even if he hadn't passed the Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable's illusion trial, he must have found some clues there.

"Could it be that Heavenly Mystic King is hidden in the Nether Expanse?"

"Or perhaps his mysterious disappearance back then was also related to the power of the Nether?"

Full of these doubts, Li Fan located the Netherkind hidden underground.

To Li Fan's surprise, there were no Myriad Immortals Alliance troops stationed in this minor world.

The number of Netherkind here was also very small, fewer than a hundred individuals.

Unlike the robust and healthy Netherkind Li Fan had seen before, this group was emaciated, as if on the verge of collapsing at any moment.

After some investigation, Li Fan vaguely understood.

This particular Netherkind tribe had fled from their original homeland for their lives.

The Myriad Immortals Alliance had captured Netherkind, and they had desperately escaped to find this hiding place.

"Even better," Li Fan thought.

Without hesitation, Li Fan unleashed his full power, intending to suppress this group of Netherkind and contain them within his personal grotto-heaven, with Tian Yang's assistance.

However, something Li Fan hadn't anticipated occurred.

Despite appearing to possess no extraordinary aura, these Netherkind unleashed a remarkably uncanny power in response to Li Fan's attack.

An elder among the tribe, though startled, remained composed.

He chanted loudly, and a strange ripple immediately enveloped everyone.

To Li Fan's astonishment, they vanished right before his eyes.

It wasn't a mere illusion; his attack had genuinely missed its target.

"Hmm? Interesting," Li Fan mused.

At that moment, Li Fan distinctly sensed the fluctuation of the Nether power.

"The monk may run, but the temple won't," he thought.

Upon entering this minor world, Li Fan had already completely sealed off its entrances and exits with an array formation.

Without his permission, no one would be able to leave this world!

His spiritual sense swept across the surroundings, searching the entire minor world, but he still couldn't locate the hidden Netherkind.

Li Fan simply launched an indiscriminate attack.

Black light, charged with destructive power, descended from the sky, striking every inch of the land.

Countless lives were caught in the devastation.

Li Fan, unfazed, swept through every part of this minor world.

Under this widespread, all-encompassing cleansing, the Netherkind eventually revealed a flaw.

Noticing something seemingly resisting his Grand Five Elements Nirvana Sword, Li Fan's eyes flashed.

He instantly sealed off that area layer by layer with array formations.

Under pressure, the Netherkind finally reappeared.

They huddled together, looking up at Li Fan in the sky.

Their eyes held both fear and hostility.

The elder leading them finally couldn't help but speak out, "Superior Immortal, why must you exterminate us completely?"

"For exploring the sacred land, the number of our kin you've already captured should surely be enough."

"I believe you've misunderstood. I am not with the Myriad Immortals Alliance. On the contrary, like you, I have an irreconcilable feud with them," Li Fan stated clearly.

"Otherwise, with your meager strength, how could you have survived my attack?"

With that, Li Fan immediately activated the Soul Burning Art at full power.

His five great grotto-heavens glowed with an eerie, demonic red light.

Coupled with the augmentation from the Tian Yang Immortal Puppet, Li Fan's displayed power at this moment was comparable to that of a Longevity Realm cultivator.

The minor world itself began to develop black spatial cracks, unable to contain his power.

The heavens and earth trembled, gradually falling apart.

The mere aura he emitted had caused an apocalyptic scene.

This filled the Netherkind below with extreme dread.

"The Myriad Immortals Alliance is currently exploring your sacred land. I intend to take this opportunity to secretly ambush and eliminate them."

"Are you willing to assist me?"

Li Fan asked with a cold tone.

There was no second option. Coupled with their hatred for the Myriad Immortals Alliance, the Netherkind below quickly chose to surrender.

When they were successfully brought back to the Spiritwood Realm and it was time, as per custom, to bow to the Faceless True Immortal, this group of Netherkind, however, instantly collapsed to the ground, trembling as if they had seen something utterly terrifying.