Chapter 1108: Heavenly Venerable Puppet Master

Although it was a formation Li Fan had only just devised, it was custom-made for the people of the Spiritwood Realm. With the Sky-Sun Immortal Puppet as its core, relying on its Eternal-level defensive capabilities, it allowed everyone else to unleash their combat power to the fullest.

This formation also had an effect similar to Soul Ignition, capable of fully stimulating the potential of the cultivators within it in a short time, though it came at the cost of burning their souls.

Before retreating with the formation assembled, the Saint Embryo Li Fan cast one last glance at the Spiritwood Realm.

"The next life will be better."

Then, without the slightest lingering sentiment, he led everyone out of the Spiritwood Realm.

They had initially expected to encounter a heavy encirclement by the Myriad Immortals Alliance. However, to Li Fan and the others' surprise, the void outside the Spiritwood Realm was completely empty!

What was strange, however, was that the feeling of being constantly monitored, which had been lingering in everyone's minds, still persisted!

"Be careful!" Daoist Hundred Flowers was the first to warn. Her face was pale, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Even when facing Li Fan's coercion earlier, she had never been so flustered or lost her composure.

This was because what she had felt from Li Fan then was merely pure killing intent. But now...

"Pure evil..."

Liu Ruchen of the Medicine King Sect and the others also reacted as if facing a formidable enemy.

Although the area ahead seemed empty and undefended, they all halted their charge simultaneously.

Including Li Fan, who was leading them.

Their instincts told them that if they charged forward, they would die.

As if targeted by a natural predator, everyone's bodies stiffened, afraid to move.

Just then, Tianyang's voice reached Li Fan's ears.

"Ahead. Eternal level. Strange."

Brief and grave.

To the Saint Embryo Li Fan, it was like a thunderclap.

"Eternal level?"

"Is the Law Preacher here?"

His heart felt as if it had been tightly clenched, and even Li Fan's true self, hidden in the Nether Prison, couldn't help but show a slight disarray in his aura.

"That's right. The Myriad Immortals Alliance already knew about the existence of Eternal-level beings in the Myriad Realms United Association. After the initial probing, they naturally wouldn't send people to die in vain; instead, they would directly use decisive force to settle everything with one blow."

"But..."

"To avenge a few Law Preachers, it would personally intervene? Wouldn't that be beneath its dignity?"

Li Fan was clearly somewhat caught off guard by the appearance of the Law Preacher Heavenly Venerate.

But immediately afterward, various doubts arose in his mind.

Judging from the Law Preacher Heavenly Venerate's previous attitude towards the Law Preachers, it was clear that it only regarded them as tools. Perhaps Jiang, the Law Preacher, was somewhat special, but other Law Preachers were probably no different from ordinary cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm in its eyes.

Would the Law Preacher personally appear to campaign against them just for the sake of three mere Law Preachers?

Li Fan naturally didn't believe it.

Moreover, Li Fan had once felt the vast power of the Law Preacher Heavenly Venerate. Its aura was sacred, boundless, and unfathomable.

It absolutely had nothing to do with the "evil" currently surrounding them!

"If not the Law Preacher, then who could it be?"

There were only a few Eternal Heavenly Venerates in the Xuanhuang Realm.

Excluding the five Heavenly Venerates of the Five Elders Association, it couldn't be the Rebirth Heavenly Venerate who had just attained enlightenment.

As thoughts raced, a name, buried deep in his memory and almost forgotten, suddenly appeared in Li Fan's mind.

Heavenly Venerate Dongji!

Regarding Heavenly Venerate Dongji, the records about it, even after searching through all the archives of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, amounted to only a few brief sentences.

Its life seemed to have been deliberately erased. The only thing known was that the Cleansing Spirit Pool, currently used by the Myriad Immortals Alliance to remove the Immortal-Mortal Miasma from mortals, was its invention.

Beyond that, there was nothing else.

A Heavenly Venerate of the Eternal level, and the only Heavenly Venerate in the Myriad Immortals Alliance apart from the Law Preacher.

To receive such treatment was truly bizarre and unimaginable.

If it wasn't at its own request, then what happened to it was highly intriguing.

Furthermore, the Eternal Heavenly Venerates of the Xuanhuang Realm were all known by the Dao of Reversal they embodied.

Only this Dongji seemed to be just its name.

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Li Fan's mind.

Meanwhile, the malevolent presence lurking around them launched an attack on the people of the Spiritwood Realm.

The might of a Heavenly Venerate was truly different from that of ordinary cultivators.

The Sky-Sun Immortal Puppet, whose body originally radiated pure white light, suddenly seemed to be tainted by an ominous aura. Its light flickered erratically. Tianyang's expression was grim, as if wrestling with that aura. Black spots appeared scattered across the puppet's surface.

The attack of the evil aura bypassed the protection of Li Fan's formation, simultaneously landing on every person from the Spiritwood Realm.

Not everyone had the capacity to resist an Eternal Heavenly Venerate.

In just the blink of an eye, they were corroded.

And Li Fan also saw the fate of those completely tainted by the evil aura.

Their pupils vanished, and their eye sockets became pitch black.

At the same time, they instantly attacked their comrades, clearly having completely lost their own minds.

Almost instantly, the Spiritwood Realm team descended into chaos, subtly showing signs of collapse.

Yet, the enemy hidden in the darkness still did not reveal itself.

"Is this the combat power of a true Eternal Heavenly Venerate?"

"Defeat is acceptable. But to not even see its true form..."

Amidst the chaos, Li Fan's expression remained unfazed; he simply looked at Tianyang.

A dazzling crimson glow suddenly surged forth from Tianyang's body.

Like the great sun in the sky, it illuminated the surrounding dark space.

"Tianyang, in its life..."

"Will not be inferior to others!"

The Sky-Sun Immortal Puppet's body instantly swelled hundreds of millions of times, like a flame giant that opened the heavens and earth, standing in the dark void.

Rings of crimson flames erupted from its body, spreading continuously outwards.

It aimed to incinerate the entire space.

Under the scorching Sky-Sun flames, the Spiritwood Realm allies remained unharmed.

The cultivators who had been corrupted by the evil aura turned into black ash amidst incredibly piercing, chilling screams.

And the culprit, who had been hidden in the darkness all along, was finally forced to reveal itself!

The sight before him made the Saint Embryo Li Fan narrow his eyes slightly.

A tall, naked man stood in mid-air.

His black hair reached his ankles, and his body was covered in black, evil-emitting patterns.

Behind the naked man, countless threads could vaguely be seen, emerging from the void and deeply embedded in his body.

The naked man's eyes were completely black, and his face was expressionless, just like the cultivators whose minds had been controlled.

"An Eternal Heavenly Venerate, a string puppet..."

This bizarre scene sent an uncontrollable chill through the hearts of everyone from the Spiritwood Realm.

Li Fan, in particular, gasped.

"This is..."

"Heavenly Venerate Dongji, who mysteriously disappeared, has actually become like this?"

"Although not dead, it's a fate worse than death..."

"Who did this?"

"Those Law Preachers from the Myriad Immortals Alliance definitely don't have this ability."

"The only possibility is the Law Preacher!"

In the Nether Prison, Li Fan's true self instinctively clenched his fists.