Chapter 1139: Silent Destruction of the Suppurating Sore

The Azure Guard had defended the Roaring Abyss for too long. Some had been born there and never left, even until their deaths. Their families, friends, and everything they knew had bloomed and withered within the Immortal Citadel. Most of the Azure Guard had only heard of the true wonders of the Xuanhuang Realm, which they protected, through the Celestial Mirror. They had never witnessed them firsthand. The terror of the Roaring Abyss made it impossible for them to even imagine leaving someday. But now... Li Fan's arrival offered a glimmer of hope in their endlessly bleak lives.

"With the two lords working together, perhaps the demonic sounds can truly be eradicated forever..." The Azure Guard cheered thunderously, their gazes fixed hopefully on Li Fan and Shang Shaojun, who stood outside the abyss.

"The cruelest thing in the world is to give hope, only to then crush it," Shang Shaojun sighed softly, looking back at the expressions on his generals' faces.

"I was compelled by the situation just now to reluctantly agree to your request. But truthfully, I'm not optimistic," he transmitted telepathically. "The real headache with the Roaring Abyss isn't just the demonic sounds. Otherwise, any randomly chosen Dharma Transmitter from the Immortal Alliance could easily suppress them. What truly concerns the Immortal Alliance's high-ranking members is the distorted path of world destruction originating from the abyss's depths."

"It's like a wound; if you pierce it, pus will flow out and infect the Xuanhuang Realm..."

Under duress, Shang Shaojun had no choice but to reveal why the Immortal Alliance merely guarded the abyss instead of eliminating the root cause. "The demonic sounds are merely a surface phenomenon. To truly eliminate them forever, one must also deal with this wound while suppressing the sounds."

Shang Shaojun had intended for these words to dissuade Li Fan from dragging him to the abyss's depths. To his surprise, after hearing his explanation, Li Fan showed no astonishment whatsoever, as if he already knew the truth about the Roaring Abyss. He even smiled slightly and countered, "The demonic sounds are a surface phenomenon, and the wound... is also a surface phenomenon."

"The Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao flows, constantly cycling between creation and destruction. An ordinary world wound would heal within a century at most. Yet, the Roaring Abyss has raged for over several hundred years without any sign of stopping; in fact, it's growing worse. Aren't you curious about this, Shaojun?"

Shang Shaojun froze upon hearing this. "You..." His gaze at Li Fan wavered between surprise and uncertainty. He had originally thought Li Fan was a powerful, passionate cultivator, but now it seemed...

"My identity isn't important; what's important is you, Shaojun."

"Aren't you truly curious about everything in the White Mist Maze, and the Immortal Alliance's strange attitude regarding this matter back then?"

Shang Shaojun's expression changed. "Are you from the Council of Five Elders?"

Li Fan shook his head. "I am merely a sincere individual who doesn't wish to see the truth buried."

Then Li Fan sat down again, his sword resting horizontally. "I will wait here for three days."

"After three days, I will enter the abyss, sword in hand."

"As for whether you wish to accompany me, Shaojun... I won't force you."

Shang Shaojun remained silent. His figure rippled like water and vanished.

Three days passed in a flash. During this time, Li Fan remained at the mouth of the abyss. Whenever demonic sounds reappeared, he effortlessly eradicated them with his sword light. The Azure Guard within the Immortal Citadel watched Li Fan's back with reverence. Many intelligent individuals even recorded images of Li Fan's sword light annihilating the demons. They repeatedly studied them, and some truly gained insights, greatly advancing their strength.

As the agreed-upon time arrived, Saint Embryo Li Fan showed no hesitation. Under the gaze of countless eyes, he rose and slowly walked into the Roaring Abyss, with no intention of waiting for Shang Shaojun. Seeing Li Fan about to depart alone, murmurs inevitably arose within the Immortal Citadel. After all, no matter how high Shang Shaojun's prestige had been previously, if he failed to react in this situation, his reputation would irrevocably crumble. These Azure Guard members were his direct lineage, cultivated over a century; losing their sincere support would undoubtedly be a devastating blow to Shang Shaojun. Given Shang Shaojun's strength, even if he ventured deep into the Roaring Abyss and failed to suppress the demonic sounds, he would at most sustain minor injuries. His life would not be in danger. Therefore, Li Fan concluded that Shang Shaojun would certainly appear, even if just to put on a show behind him.

As expected, just as Li Fan resolutely stepped into the Roaring Abyss, Shang Shaojun's figure appeared right on time.

"Farewell, Commander!" The Azure Guard's thunderous, unified cheers suddenly ceased after Li Fan fully entered the abyss.

"The last time I set foot here was nearly three hundred years ago," Shang Shaojun's voice echoed from behind.

Li Fan didn't respond, merely observing his surroundings. It was somewhat similar to the situation in the Netherworld. The endless darkness was unsettling. The difference was the continuous dark red light bands woven through the darkness, like the flowing blood of some ancient mythical beast. From these crimson light bands, ash-like substances occasionally drifted out.

Li Fan reached out and seized a piece. A putrid aura immediately began to corrode his body from the point of contact. Within a few breaths, Saint Embryo Li Fan's body transformed into the same ash-like substance. A flash of sword light pierced the darkness, and Li Fan regenerated from his inner world.

"These embers are the result of contamination by the distorted path of world destruction. This is only the outermost region of the abyss. The deeper we go, the more severe the distortion becomes. It can even infect and destroy the very foundations of our cultivation," Shang Shaojun warned telepathically. The foundations of cultivation he referred to included miraculous Foundation Establishment items and Nascent Soul grotto-heavens. As long as these new cultivation bases remained intact, cultivators could endlessly regenerate. However, if even they were damaged, the cultivator would naturally perish.

"Besides this, we also need to worry about sudden surges of demonic sounds. Demonic sounds outside the abyss are a completely different concept from those within. I prided myself on my firm resolve back then, yet I couldn't last more than a few breaths before those horrifying whispers nearly drove me insane."

Shang Shaojun chattered on, but Li Fan ignored him, steadily flying towards the abyss's depths. Wherever he passed, flashes of sword light obliterated the continuous, wandering dark red blood shadows. Shang Shaojun stared for a moment, secretly astonished to find that these anomalous entities showed no signs of regenerating.

"This is the Sword of Annihilation; wherever its light reaches, all turns to nothingness." Li Fan's voice suddenly sounded in his ear. "For a festering wound, simply cut it clean," he said indifferently. "As for those demonic sounds..."

"I possess a supreme secret technique that I will impart to you; it will ensure your safety."