Chapter 1373: And Now, the Ink Hunt Killer

From soul-searching, he learned that the person before him was named Qin Zhuang.

He was originally the most powerful being in the Changyang Minor World, part of the Xuanhuang Realm.

The Changyang Minor World itself contained no spiritual energy; only a unique great sun spanned the sky, illuminating the world. Daylight accounted for three-quarters of each day and was continuously lengthening, as if threatening to scorch and consume all living beings.

Starting as a mere mortal, Qin Zhuang continuously absorbed the Changyang energy and developed his innate potential. It took him ninety-nine years to completely integrate the great sun in the sky into his very being.

From then on, Changyang was without a sun, plunged into an eternal night.

Just as Qin Zhuang resolved to leave the minor world, a mysterious figure approached him. Qin Zhuang, who had boasted divine power capable of destroying heaven and earth, found himself unable to last more than a few moves against this opponent. He suffered a humiliating defeat, yet the figure revealed the truth about the Xuanhuang Realm, mortals, and minor worlds, inviting him to join the allied forces against the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

Impressed by the figure's demeanor and power, Qin Zhuang readily accepted.

What followed was a fierce and momentous battle.

The Myriad Immortals Alliance's accounts of this minor world counter-offensive were far from the reality of an easy, overwhelming victory.

In fact, at the outset, the Myriad Immortals Alliance suffered continuous defeats, forced to retreat and barely cling to survival within the Central Four States.

Ultimately, it was the Transmitters of Law who sought aid from the Celestial Venerable of Law Transmission. Thousands of golden threads rained down from beyond the starry sky, finally scattering the allied forces.

With the allied forces defeated and scattered, Qin Zhuang, as one of their leaders, was eternally suppressed in the deepest reaches of the Nether Prison.

Li Fan carefully contemplated the memories of the person before him.

There appeared to be no flaws; all were imprints originating from the depths of the soul. Yet, Li Fan instinctively sensed something was amiss.

It wasn't that the memory was fabricated. In fact, the Changyang Realm in its state of eternal night genuinely existed, and Li Fan had even visited it himself.

“It’s the discord between this body and this memory. It’s as if someone has seized control of the body, like a cuckoo displacing a magpie in its nest!” Li Fan, who had performed such acts many times before, instantly recognized the anomaly.

Though merely an intuition, Li Fan trusted his judgment implicitly.

“Since soul-searching is futile, I must find another method.”

With that thought, Li Fan casually tossed "Qin Zhuang," exhausted and tormented by the soul-searching, onto the ground.

Qin Zhuang appeared to be on the verge of death, yet shortly after, he suddenly transformed into a streak of golden light and shot towards the edge of the Xuanhuang Realm. This time, his speed was several times greater than before. A faint crimson hue shimmered within the golden light, clearly indicating Qin Zhuang was fighting with all his might.

Nevertheless, the outcome remained precisely the same.

As the illusory wooden sword flickered, Li Fan seized him again and forcefully slammed him back to the ground.

“Senior, please spare me! Senior, please spare me!”

Qin Zhuang finally looked horrified and pleaded for mercy repeatedly.

“Situ Yao of the Heavenly Sword Sect—what is he to you?” Li Fan asked abruptly and directly.

“Hm? This junior doesn’t understand what you mean…” Qin Zhuang said cautiously, his face blank.

But how could the fleeting change in Qin Zhuang’s expression, upon hearing those words, escape Li Fan’s keen observation?

Having obtained the answer he sought, Li Fan ceased wasting words and pressed a finger against Qin Zhuang’s brow.

The bewildering illusion formation enveloped Qin Zhuang.

Li Fan attempted to use the illusion formation to generate a world, hoping to glimpse Qin Zhuang’s true past.

However, this method, which had proven effective on Heavenly Physicians, yielded no results this time!

Qin Zhuang’s behavior within the illusion formation perfectly aligned with the logical actions and words of the Changyang Realm’s most powerful being. The formation generated dozens of possible scenarios, yet the outcome remained consistently identical.

This caused Li Fan to even doubt his own judgment.

As Qin Zhuang slowly regained consciousness from the illusion formation, the fear in his eyes deepened as he looked at Li Fan.

He seemed to want to speak but held back.

Yet, it was precisely this hint of fear that dispelled Li Fan’s uncertainties. Instead, he became convinced that the other party harbored a significant secret.

Li Fan clearly perceived that Qin Zhuang’s fear originated from the apprehension of his own secrets being exposed.

If he were merely the Qin Zhuang from the minor world, the fear he would exhibit upon having his entire life exposed would be vastly different from his current demeanor.

“It appears that some form of restriction or secret protective technique from beyond the wall might be preventing ordinary methods from peering into the depths of his soul’s hidden truths.”

Li Fan understood, and with a meaningful gaze, he said to Qin Zhuang, “It matters not. Let me see how long you can endure.”

Li Fan, it seemed, had ample experience in how to make someone talk.

He separated a simulated persona specifically for interrogation and torture. Li Fan then suppressed it within himself, ensuring it was ‘well-entertained.’

“It’s not necessarily that he’s unwilling to speak; perhaps he genuinely cannot. Regardless, I’ll work on him for a while first.” Li Fan’s eyes narrowed as he watched Qin Zhuang, now plunged into a hellish torment and howling miserably, his expression remaining cold and unchanged.

“Beyond the high wall…” A moment later, he looked up at the firmament, beyond the Xuanhuang Realm, and fell into deep contemplation.

From various clues gathered over time, it was known that ever since the Great Calamity descended, a group of refugees had left the Xuanhuang Realm, possibly even successfully crossing the high wall and escaping beyond the Dark Star Sea.

“The Ten Great Immortal Sects, including the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Demon Race of the Southern Underworld Sacred Beast Mountain, and the Merchant Immortal Ark.”

“These are merely the known instances. The starry sea is vast, with countless immortal cultivation realms. Beyond these, there must certainly be other fortunate individuals.”

“However, among those who left and returned, Qin Zhuang appears to be the sole instance.”

Naturally, Li Fan would not let him go easily.

The instant the Xuanxian Ark broke through the high wall, the actions of the Star Sea’s primal true essence filled Li Fan with a profound sense of unease. He grew wary of what lay beyond the high wall to an unprecedented degree.

“But the vast majority of fear stems from the unknown. If I could glean even a shred of intelligence…”

“We shall see how much Qin Zhuang can endure.”

Setting this matter aside for the moment, Li Fan began the final preparations before instigating Xuanhuang’s sublimation.

First was the rehearsal for hunting Mo Sha.

Currently, Li Fan was eighty percent confident in successfully elevating the Xuanhuang Realm to an Immortal Domain.

However, how to eliminate Mo Sha, the Celestial Soul of Heaven and Earth, in the shortest possible time required further meticulous consideration.

Mo Sha was inherently among the most powerful Heavenly and Earthly Souls within the Xuanhuang Realm; after Xuanhuang’s sublimation, its power would undoubtedly increase significantly.

“Yet, despite all transformations, the core remains. Even after sublimation, its essence will ultimately still be a Heavenly and Earthly Soul.”

“As long as I understand its attributes and weaknesses, I can prescribe the appropriate remedy…”

After a moment of deliberation, Li Fan arrived at the Congyun Sea.