Chapter 1266: Catching Mo Rubin

Initially, Yan Fajue was a bit hesitant. But when she actually took a bite, her expression instantly became incredibly vivid. Then she began to swallow large mouthfuls.

"Mmm... so delicious... mmm..."

In no time at all, she devoured the entire plate of fried rice. Afterward, still feeling unsatisfied, she gently patted her slightly distended belly, her face full of wonder: "Your fried rice is just like the real thing! How did you do it?" As she spoke, Yan Fajue burped again.

Li Fan smiled and said, "When the false is taken for true, the true is also false. When the true is taken for false, the false is also true. How can truth and falsehood be so easily distinguished? As long as you have a deep enough understanding of the essence of things, you too can create illusions that are indistinguishable from reality."

Yan Fajue plopped down onto the ground: "Fried rice, I've only ever eaten it, never made it. The same goes for other delicacies; it seems there's no hope for me to be self-sufficient. But..." She sized up Li Fan: "You weren't, by any chance, a chef before, were you?"

Li Fan's face twitched. He avoided answering and changed the subject: "Are you full now? Have you remembered that immortal character?"

Yan Fajue quickly shook her head: "Just one dish isn't enough! Can I have more!"

"From the clues currently available, the True Immortal Seal Characters can be divided into three main categories. The first is the 'Chaos Character Formula' type, which brings various disasters and destruction. The second is the 'Return Character Formula,' which is an imperial decree from the Immortal Realm. Finally, there's this depiction..."

In his perception, Mo Rubing, who had been rapidly fleeing earlier, had not moved for a long time.

Li Fan's thoughts surged, and he couldn't help but try again to draw and repair the missing Inscription Dao characters.

Li Fan responded indifferently, "It was just a small business I ran with this skill when I was a mortal. Nothing worth mentioning."

"However..."

Li Ping pondered for a moment and did not pursue directly. Instead, he summoned Craftsman Jushi.

While Li Fan's main body learned of ancient immortal realm secrets from Yan Fajue and gained enlightenment, the Faceless Sacred Emperor Li Ping finally completed the ultimate lockdown of the Faceless True Immortal Statue and the First Origin Sect ruins.

But everything pales in comparison.

Within the character light sphere, intersecting strokes moved, forming a gigantic character that filled the entire sky.

Li Fan scoffed, but with a gentle wave, a stove, cooking utensils, and ingredients appeared one after another before him.

However, Li Fan discovered that this disparity only became apparent when both were simultaneously present and compared in his mind.

"Don't get me wrong," Yan Fajue praised, "even though you're not particularly handsome, your cooking skills are genuinely excellent."

"The difference between the original and the imitation is truly immense."

As the kitchen fire flickered, aromatic dishes were continuously served.

"The structure of the strokes, the style of the turns, and all the details of the brushwork are remarkably similar to the 'Hunger' and 'Chaos' characters I've seen before. Yet, they are even more beautiful, more naturally formed as if by heaven." Then she said, "Mmm, I'm a bit sleepy, I need a nap. You can watch by yourself."

Compared to this authentic Immortal Dao inscription from Yan Fajue's memory, the ones that wreaked havoc in the Dark Star Sea were as crude as a child's scribble.

After a while, Li Fan awoke from his enlightenment, letting out a long breath. If Li Fan had only reproduced single characters like "Hunger" or "Chaos," he would still instinctively find them flawless.

"With the destruction of the Immortal Realm, where could the authentic Immortal Dao inscription from back then be now?" Li Fan couldn't help but wonder.

However, it was intermittent, like an illusion. It was a very contradictory yet marvelous experience.

"The raindrops that fall when the character manifests can be called Immortal Sound Jade Dew. It's also born with the profound sounds of the Great Dao, drawing true immortals to contend for it. This is probably closer to the legendary 'Inscription Dao' characters."

Yan Fajue drooled as she watched, accepting everything offered and stuffing it all into her mouth.

"Where is this location?"

"Burp..."

However, he would always pause at critical points, shaking his head slightly.

The many True Immortal Seal Characters Li Fan had encountered before had seemed perfectly flawless in his eyes. Every part of them demonstrated the vast and sacred power of a True Immortal.

Li Fan used his hand as a brush, attempting to write in the air.

"It is indeed a True Immortal Seal Character. However, due to Yan Fajue's memory loss, she cannot fully comprehend its meaning. Even the character she presents has a slight deviation from the true True Immortal Seal Character."

After repeated attempts, Li Fan concluded: The True Immortal Seal Characters were like a vast ocean to him. By himself, he could only be immersed within them, unable to grasp their full scope. But with an authentic Immortal Dao inscription as a comparison, it was like an unmoving anchor or an eye from high above, allowing him to free himself and see the true landscape.

The result, as expected, was futile.

After a wonderful, filling meal, the little loli's stomach was round like a ball, and she unceremoniously lay directly on the ground, completely stuffed.

"It's just a pity that this authentic Immortal Dao inscription is also incomplete. And having passed through Yan Fajue's memory, it still has some distortion."

Emulating the authentic Immortal Dao inscription, Li Fan re-examined the True Immortal Seal Characters he had mastered, such as 'Hunger' and 'Chaos.'

As she spoke, Yan Fajue was already snoring loudly, fast asleep.

Yan Fajue blissfully narrowed her eyes, savoring the taste that still lingered on her tongue.

Indeed, the effect was excellent. Although at first glance they still seemed no different from before, Li Fan was very certain that these True Immortal Seal Characters, refined according to the original, had increased their power by at least one-third.

The profound sounds of the Great Dao, which he had heard in the illusion before, vaguely echoed again.

Li Fan gazed up at the character, unmoving. Only when it slowly dispersed did he reveal a pensive expression.

"This place... it's said to be formed from the heart of that giant beast after its death, a place where the earth's energy converges in Nine Mountains Province. I've been there once, but found nothing remarkable," Craftsman Jushi said, sensing the image transmitted by the Sacred Emperor and shaking his head slightly.

The location indicated by the Sacred Emperor was a swamp in Nine Mountains Province, the stronghold of the Spirit Origin Sect.

"It's just that the spiritual energy is a bit denser than other places; there's nothing else truly special about it," Craftsman Jushi asserted.

"What do you know about that Tian Beast?" Li Ping asked again.

Craftsman Jushi shrugged: "If it weren't for some local cultivators from Nine Mountains Province in my sect, I probably wouldn't even know the legend that the Nine Mountains were formed from the carcass of a dead giant beast. So, that thing is called a Tian Beast. I've learned something new."

"However, if you're interested in that place, there's a Nascent Soul cultivator in my sect named Shen Yurou. You can summon him and ask."

Craftsman Jushi explained the reason to Li Ping.

It turned out that Shen Yurou's family had, for generations, made a living by excavating underground objects in the Nine Mountains. The chaotic lands of Nine Mountains had, since ancient times, buried countless cultivators. This could even be traced back to the era when the Ten Immortal Dao Sects ruled.

The Shen family had accumulated considerable capital with this skill. However, it was ultimately a clandestine business, so Shen Yurou abandoned this ancestral craft after joining the Spirit Origin Sect.

"I seem to recall him mentioning that a Shen family ancestor once dug up a peculiar structure near that swamp. However, it was completely empty inside, with only some strange statues. After his ancestor left dejectedly, he fell seriously ill and almost died."

Li Ping's heart stirred, and he consulted the Creation Stone Tablet. Indeed, he found information about this Shen family ancestor. However, there was no record of the discovery of the ruins in the Nine Mountains Province swamp.

Li Ping then left Daqi and arrived at the Spirit Origin Sect. Still disguised as the Spirit Origin Sect Master, he summoned Shen Yurou to inquire about the details.

Shen Yurou was somewhat taken aback by the summons from the Sect Master, who had not appeared for a long time. He said very cautiously, "This matter is indeed a bit strange. Ever since that accidental entry, my ancestor contracted some strange illnesses."

"For example, the scene of that underground structure would often recur in his dreams, and furthermore..."

"Since then, all members of our Shen family have become men with feminine features and women with masculine features. Yin and Yang have been reversed," Shen Yurou said calmly, seemingly having accepted this reality.

Li Ping's divine sense swept over Shen Yurou's body, finding no influence from any foreign power. It was as if this was how things were naturally meant to be.

"Is the exact location of that structure still known?" Li Ping asked.

Shen Yurou looked troubled: "My ancestor did not reveal its exact location to prevent other family members from accidentally entering again. However, there are paintings and drawings depicting the specific scene of that structure."

With that, Shen Yurou gestured with his finger, drawing a picture.

In each of the four corners, there was a stone statue. They were headless figures performing various actions, seemingly in prayer. And in the center of the four statues, a bare cylindrical pillar stood. The pillar's surface was extremely smooth, without any carved patterns. Yet, strangely, the shadow it cast on the ground appeared to be that of a ferocious beast, baring its fangs and claws. It seemed as if it could come alive at any moment with the play of light and shadow.

"According to my ancestor, inside this structure, there would be continuous thumping sounds of a violent heartbeat. And if one were to gaze up along this pillar, it would feel like plummeting into an abyss, with endless darkness all around..." Shen Yurou added.

Li Ping stared at the four headless figures in the image. Even without heads, it was faintly discernible that their style was very similar to that of the Faceless True Immortal statue he had encountered beneath Mount Taixu. It was undoubtedly a product of the Profound Heaven Sect.

"Borrowing their likeness, yet severing their heads."

"This pillar..."

That smooth pillar was, without a doubt, the core of this bizarre structure. But from the image alone, no clues could be discerned.

After dismissing Shen Yurou, Li Ping quietly arrived in the Great Marsh of Nine Mountains Province.

It was highly illogical for such a large-scale swamp to appear in a continuous mountain range like the Nine Mountains. Many cultivators had explored this place before, hoping to discover some hidden secrets, but all had found nothing.

Li Ping stood in the center of the great marsh, only sensing a putrid, foul odor. He detected nothing unusual, were it not for his clear perception that Mo Rubing was hidden there.

Mo Rubing presumably hadn't detected Li Ping's approach. Although he had been moving within a small area deep in the swamp, he never left the region.

Setting up formations around the area, Li Ping submerged himself beneath the swamp, slowly approaching the detected location.

"Gurgle..."

Suddenly, his body halted abruptly. Just moments ago, Li Ping faintly heard a squirming sound. With his current cultivation, he could almost rule out it being an illusion. So...

Li Ping looked around. The viscous, foul-smelling swamp mud was pulsating rhythmically, as if alive. Li Ping suddenly had a feeling that the entire swamp had abruptly come to life.

"A trap?" The thought flashed through Li Ping's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. The swamp's attention wasn't on him.

The Sacred Emperor continued to conceal his presence, following the intuition in his heart—also the source of the swamp's life rhythm. Before long, he discovered the strange structure that Shen Yurou's ancestor had once encountered.

From a macroscopic view outside, the structure strikingly resembled a blank face. And the tall, smooth pillar was located at the center of the blank face, like a raised third eye, gazing at the sky from underground.

Such an eerie sight made Li Ping's heart tighten. The structure blocked his internal scrutiny; he could only rely on the mark he had left on Mo Rubing earlier to confirm that the other party was indeed busy with something inside.

The Sacred Emperor did not intrude. Instead, he silently laid down a net of source energy essence around the periphery, adding layers of formations to completely seal the area. He even summoned the power of the Profound Yellow Heavenly Dao to seal the surrounding earth veins...

Even after deploying so many measures, for some reason, Li Ping still felt uncertain.

After pondering for a moment, Li Ping awakened the cat-treasure on his shoulder and retrieved an item from its belly. It was a strange treasure obtained from the fishing pond, capable of sealing space. The strange treasure looked rather unremarkable, merely a plain ring. But the golden-white light flowing on it subtly indicated the terrifying power hidden within.

"The Sky-Binding Ring."

"It's forged by extinguishing all life in a ring-shaped world and integrating it into the artifact. It carries not only the weight of an entire world but also the weight of billions of living beings. Once bound, even I would be greatly affected in my movements."

Although the refining method could be considered that of an outright evil artifact, Li Ping was not a pedantic person, so he had no psychological burden using it.

Gently tossing it out, the Sky-Binding Ring flew towards the top of the blank-faced structure. In the blink of an eye, it expanded several times, enveloping the entire surrounding area.

Watching the gradually concealing golden-white ring, the Sacred Emperor pondered for a moment, then deployed one last measure.

With everything prepared, Li Ping flew towards the interior of the structure.

"You've arrived."

"I've been waiting for you for a long time."

No sooner had he entered than Mo Rubing's voice echoed in his ears. Li Ping focused his gaze but could not see his physical form. However, at the base of the smooth pillar in the center of the structure, the shifting shadow resembled a human figure. It confronted Li Ping, seemingly with a mocking expression.

"I've been by Brother Xuanyuan's side for so long; even if I haven't reached the Half-Immortal realm, I wouldn't be completely ignorant of him. What's more, you're using a plan that Brother Xuanyuan discarded and rejected..."

"Mortal Immortal Power, while strong, is ultimately harmful and useless," Mo Rubing scoffed.

Li Ping knew that the "Mortal Immortal Power" Mo Rubing referred to was the source energy essence he had condensed from the faith of the Nether race. Taking shortcuts would certainly come with a corresponding price. But what he sought was never to ascend to immortality, but for the Profound Yellow World. There was nothing wrong with seeking the strongest power within the achievable scope.

Ignoring Mo Rubing's words, the Sacred Emperor examined the details of the structure. "A relic of the Profound Heaven Sect?" he asked.

Mo Rubing seemed to be waiting for something as well, making no move. He replied, "Hehehe, rather than saying it's from the Profound Heaven Sect, it's more accurate to say it's a backup plan I personally left behind."

"Brother Xuanyuan is too idealistic. And too trusting of himself."

"I'm different."

The shadow beneath the pillar seemed to be stimulated, circling and moving more rapidly.

"I once had the same mindset as Brother Xuanyuan, believing myself to be a born protagonist, that as long as I acted, failure was impossible. But later, I was severely beaten down, my cultivation regressing daily. And I had to face the ridicule of those scum I once deemed beneath my notice..."

"I understand now!"

Mo Rubing's shadow suddenly surged from the ground, floating in mid-air, glaring fiercely at Li Ping. "I'm no protagonist. I'm just an insignificant small figure flowing through the long river of history, amidst heaven and earth. A small figure naturally needs to prepare a fallback for failure. That's why I built this place, unbeknownst to Brother Xuanyuan!"

Mo Rubing manifested a shadowy arm, pointing to the four headless statues around them, and chuckled sinisterly, "Look at these statues."

"Those are bona fide True Immortals, and they even saved Brother Xuanyuan's life. Everyone in the sect, including Brother Xuanyuan himself, held them in high reverence. Yet, weren't their heads still chopped off by me?!" Mo Rubing's crazed laughter echoed throughout the secret chamber.

Li Ping calmly said, "Aren't you afraid of retribution from a True Immortal?"

Mo Rubing laughed even more fiercely: "You don't understand at all. Let alone chopping off heads, even if I were to piss and shit on His statue, a True Immortal wouldn't care!"

"How could mundane matters enter the eyes of a True Immortal?! Immortals..."

"Only care about what *they* care about!"

Li Ping merely listened in silence, neither agreeing nor refuting.

"I know that where immortal power arrives, it's as if a True Immortal is personally present. But even True Immortals don't have infinite power. How could they waste their power on this small statue?" After his wild laughter, Mo Rubing slowly regained his composure: "Unless..."

"Something that True Immortals care about appears around the statues."

Before he finished speaking, the shadow that was Mo Rubing retracted back into the smooth pillar.

The ground of the structure trembled slightly, and the pillar began to emit a faint glow, as if something was being nurtured within it.

"I don't know who you really are. But I'll give you a piece of advice..." Mo Rubing's voice came from within the pillar, passing through layers of obstruction, becoming indistinct.

"Do not enter the True Immortal realm unless absolutely necessary!"

Li Ping faintly felt that the four faceless statues around them seemed to have come alive. Even though their heads had been severed, they could still observe the scene. However, their gazes were not on Li Ping. Instead, they were all focused on the glowing pillar.

Logically, even if it wasn't the direct descent of a True Immortal's power, but merely a gaze transmitted across countless times and spaces, it should still be unbearable for mortal cultivators. Yet, the Faceless Sacred Emperor, standing amidst the four statues, felt no pressure at all.

"Is the power being extracted and absorbed?" Li Ping's heart trembled slightly.

In his vision, four streams of power of the same nature intertwined into threads, coiling around the smooth pillar, layer upon layer. Activated by this immense power, the pillar's light became even more dazzling. The surface seemed to melt away, revealing its true form within.

"This is..."

A bare flagpole. The flag had long vanished, leaving only a white jade pole carved with intricate patterns standing upright.

"An artifact from the Immortal Realm."

Feeling the increasingly tumultuous energy fluctuations around him, Li Ping retreated slightly, but his gaze remained firmly fixed on the white jade flagpole. "It's not just the True Immortal statues' gaze; even the source energy essence I deployed outside, the Mortal Immortal Power, is subtly being manipulated by this flagpole..."

At this moment, Mo Rubing's voice rang out again: "When Brother Xuanyuan returned from the Immortal Realm back then, he really brought back a lot of good stuff."

"Not to mention the cultivation techniques, even immortal artifacts were lying around everywhere..."

"It's just a pity that they said most of it was tainted with disaster, so they were sealed away and we weren't allowed to use them."

Energy formed a tangible vortex around the command flag. Amidst constant trembling, the flagpole seemed as if it could tear through space at any moment.

"Alright, it's been many years since I've spoken to anyone. Saying so much at once, I finally feel relieved."

"We'll meet again if we have the chance."

"I have important matters to attend to."

Mo Rubing's words slowly faded away. Brilliant light erupted from the flagpole, obscuring all surrounding observations. The next moment, the spirit flag was about to escape from this place.

But Li Ping had been tracking for so long; naturally, he couldn't just let him leave based on a few words from Mo Rubing.

The formations and the net of source energy essence exploded open. Golden interwoven threads materialized from the void. An impenetrable heavenly net blocked the flagpole's path, even completely sealing space itself.

"Mortal Immortal Power dares to contend with true Immortal Power?!" Mo Rubing's mocking voice came through.

At the tip of the white jade flagpole, under the blazing light, the golden source energy actually melted away like snow.

Li Ping remained unfazed, deploying the remaining source energy essence like moths to a flame while activating formation intercepts.

"Mortal formations, how dare they..."

"Hmm?!" For the first time, a tone of astonishment appeared in Mo Rubing's voice.

Because the formations Li Ping had deployed had clearly far exceeded his understanding. They even slowly pulled back the white jade flagpole, which was on the verge of piercing the void. In Mo Rubing's perception, the surroundings felt as if they were filled with a blocking medium, hindering the flagpole's movement.

"Formations in the Profound Yellow World have developed to this extent?"

"Their intricacy is actually no less than that of the Great Array of Floating Across the Starry Sky!"

Though shocked, Mo Rubing did not slow his momentum to leave. A white light erupted from the flagpole again. As the white light swept past, everything in its path was utterly disintegrated. The flagpole then easily broke free from the numerous obstructions. For some reason, Mo Rubing was no longer uttering sarcastic remarks. He merely wished to leave in silence.

"By decree!" At this moment, Li Ping's cold voice rang out.

The Sky-Binding Ring materialized in the void, firmly locking the white jade flagpole.

"Useless! Useless! Useless! Just a mere world-artifact!"

"Damn it! You're really like a fly, so annoying!" Mo Rubing's tone had a noticeable difference compared to before. He was rambling, even somewhat deranged.

For the first time, something other than white light emerged from the white jade flagpole. It was a humanoid silhouette. The figure, holding a long blade, gracefully flew out and lightly slashed at the Sky-Binding Ring. The golden-white ring, containing billions of living beings and an entire cultivation world, snapped in half!

However, releasing the white figure clearly consumed a significant amount of the white jade flagpole's power. Its light became much dimmer.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it..." Mo Rubing's malicious curses echoed. But he did not stay to trouble Li Ping. Instead, he very determinedly continued towards his predetermined destination.

"I told you, you can't stop me!"

Amidst the flashing light, the white jade flagpole transformed into a thin streak, shaking off all restraints and about to depart.

At this moment, an ancient song suddenly and abruptly rang out. The sound was not loud, yet it suppressed the vibrations from Mo Rubing and the white jade flagpole.

A door of utter blackness quietly opened in the white jade flagpole's path. And Li Ping, who had not personally acted until now, flashed into existence at the tail of the white jade flagpole. Golden armor protected his body, and behind the Sacred Emperor, the phantom image of the Profound Yellow World also emerged.

"In you go!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Li Ping gave a fierce kick to the tail of the white jade flagpole, making the already eager-to-depart flagpole suddenly shoot forward. Too late to dodge, it flew directly into the pitch-black doorway. Li Ping also swiftly followed, flying inside, and conveniently closed the passage. He also didn't forget to casually bring along the few loyal Nether race members who had risked their lives to set up the ritual and open the passage to the Sea of Gloom.

Inside the Sea of Gloom.

It was utterly dark and silent. Even the white jade flagpole, which shone as brightly as the sun outside, could only illuminate a small, limited area around itself here. And Mo Rubing, who had been so talkative, now seemed to have become mute.

For a long time, there was silence.

"Wait, this is..."

"Here..."

After a long pause, he finally spoke, somewhat dazed.

"Now, we can talk."

The white jade flagpole's radiance slightly dispelled the darkness of the Sea of Gloom, allowing Li Ping and Mo Rubing to temporarily communicate verbally.

Mo Rubing, however, seemed not to have heard Li Ping at all. He materialized from the white jade flagpole, gazing around with an expression of disbelief. His expression was a mix of anticipation and fear.

"Is there a presence of King Profound Heaven here?" After a brief silence, Li Ping asked aloud.

The three words "King Profound Heaven" seemed to trigger something. Mo Rubing sharply snapped back to his senses. He stared at Li Fan: "How do you know about this place?"

"And you can open a passage here?" Mo Rubing's tone was extremely dangerous, as if any slightly incorrect answer from Li Ping would lead to an unending confrontation.

"Nearly ten thousand years have passed since you fell into slumber. There's nothing that can't happen." Li Ping's attitude, however, was very calm.

"Not only me, but even the current largest cultivation organization, the Myriad Immortals Alliance, has mastered opening passages to this place."

"And they are stealing power here."

"Haven't you felt it?" Li Ping asked.

At these words, Mo Rubing's expression changed again. He looked into the distance, his aura fluctuating violently.

"How dare they?!"

"They deserve to die! Die!" Mo Rubing raged.