Chapter 1447: Exposing the True Immortal Corpse

**Angry Squid**

Dao Yuan, at this moment, seemed trapped in a terrifying nightmare. His face was pale, and he was covered in cold sweat. Fortunately, Qian Ruochang did not make Dao Yuan confront the True Immortal's might for long; the threads were withdrawn after a few breaths. Even so, Dao Yuan remained terrified and panicked, taking a considerable time to recover.

"Is it really that exaggerated?" many people secretly wondered upon witnessing this scene. However, after Qian Ruochang connected the threads to each of their bodies, no one dared to doubt it anymore. Dao Yuan could barely hold on, and his reaction was considered mild among the group. Many others collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. A significant number experienced psychological breakdowns, crying out in distress.

Qian Ruochang remained unfazed, seeing how fragile these so-called prodigies were. In fact, he had specifically chosen a "dangerous element" among the imprisoned True Immortals, precisely to intimidate these newcomers.

Unlike the genuine reactions of the others, Li Fan's display was, naturally, feigned. Li Fan had personally witnessed beings capable of transcending possibilities, let alone True Immortals. He naturally wouldn't be frightened into losing his composure.

However, the sleeping True Immortal that Qian Ruochang had the newly promoted Immortal Hunters "confront" was indeed somewhat peculiar. He seemed to be able to detect the various threads inserted into his body and, through them, glimpse the outside world. Consequently, when the new Immortal Hunters connected to the threads, the first thing they encountered was the True Immortal's gaze.

A pair of cold eyes stared down, seemingly intending to see through everything hidden deep within one's soul. In their presence, no secret could remain, and even life and death seemed to be at the mercy of the eyes' owner.

"No wonder these people are in such a state. It's not as simple as just facing a True Immortal; they are constantly under the subtle observation of a True Immortal, a high-level being..."

"But aren't they afraid that this imprisoned True Immortal might glimpse a way to escape from the minds of outsiders?"

Li Fan subtly glanced at Qian Ruochang. He observed that Qian Ruochang maintained an amused expression, showing no such concerns at all. Li Fan then turned to scrutinize the square frame where the True Immortals were imprisoned, the so-called "Cage of Severed Dao."

Although it appeared that the imprisoned True Immortals within the frame were in the same place as the group, it was clear that what was visible was merely a visual representation of the cage's existence.

"The only place in the mortal realm that could truly be called Dao-severed is the Annihilation Lands, which have been cleansed by the Dao Annihilation Tribulation. Could it be that the Immortal Hunters of the Shuo Star Sea can use the Annihilation Lands as cages? And how do these threads pass through the Annihilation Lands?"

The core of the Deep Web contained too many unknown and ultimate secrets. What Qian Ruochang allowed them to see was only this single shimmering thread and the countless square cages attached around it. Li Fan was unable to glean any further information.

Time passed unheeded within the dim Deep Web. The group was simply forced to confront one imprisoned True Immortal after another, in various ways. No matter how vast the disparity in power, after such frequent trials, everyone gradually began to grow somewhat numb. Only the True Immortals with the most dangerous auras could still evoke any fear in them. As for ordinary True Immortals, they could now be regarded with indifference.

Qian Ruochang seemed pleased with their progress. On this day, he finally put an end to the continuous game of connecting and disconnecting threads. "Very good. It seems you have finally managed to adapt to the presence of Immortals."

"Next comes the final trial in this place."

"Once you pass this, we can officially begin weaving the Immortal-Hunting Net."

That enigmatic smile reappeared on Qian Ruochang's face. The Immortal Hunters present all felt a sudden jolt in their hearts. What Qian Ruochang said next made them all look incredulous.

"This final trial requires you to personally dissect a True Immortal's corpse!"

His voice, like a clap of thunder, resounded in their ears.

The threads connecting to the numerous frames were hidden in the darkness. A few breaths later, light reappeared. Accompanying it was a tall, upright figure. The figure's profound and vast aura made the unprepared group stop breathing, not daring to make the slightest movement.

Looking around, they realized that Qian Ruochang, who had been by their side all along, had inexplicably vanished! Only then did everyone recall the trial Qian Ruochang had mentioned earlier. Dissecting a True Immortal's corpse...

An eerie silence descended upon the area. Even though they understood the objective, no one dared, or was able, to make a move easily. The figure standing before them was called a corpse. In reality, it was almost indistinguishable from the imprisoned True Immortals they had previously faced. They couldn't clearly see the True Immortal's face, but everyone present felt a faint gaze fixed upon them from the figure. This gaze pressed down on them, as heavy as a mountain.

Adapting to a True Immortal's presence was one thing; being able to move freely, or even draw a blade, under a True Immortal's direct gaze, was an entirely different concept. The True Immortal's corpse stood there; who among them would dare to draw a blade and dissect it?

Li Fan naturally dared, but he had no intention of being the first to act.

After a long period of deathly silence, one person finally spoke harshly, "No matter how strong they were in life, after death, they are just a corpse. What's there to be afraid of?" With that, under everyone's gaze, he charged straight towards the True Immortal's corpse.

Li Fan narrowed his eyes, silently mourning for the cultivator named Feng Zengyuan in advance. A True Immortal's corpse was entirely different from a corpse in the mundane sense. Even a True Immortal's will to survive could instantly kill several Longevity Realm experts from the Xuanhuang Realm, let alone a complete True Immortal corpse.

As expected. Before Feng Zengyuan even reached the True Immortal's side, the standing shadow seemed to suddenly expand several times over. After completely engulfing Feng Zengyuan, it instantly reverted to its original form. The True Immortal's corpse still stood there, quiet and majestic. But no one could find Feng Zengyuan anymore.

Everyone felt their scalps tingle and instinctively retreated rapidly.

"Isn't it dead? How can it suddenly attack and harm people?"

"Look, has that figure become clearer? Does it even resemble Feng Zengyuan somewhat?"

"What's happening? We clearly retreated so much, but we haven't created any distance from the True Immortal's corpse. Instead, we're getting closer?"

Panic spread through the group. Despite having gone through "adaptation" and theoretical learning, now, without Qian Ruochang's protection and truly facing a True Immortal corpse capable of harming them at any moment, the group inevitably fell into disarray.

However, among them were also exceptional individuals who remained fearless in the face of danger.

"We can't keep wasting time like this," Jiang Yuming said in a deep voice. "Otherwise, it's hard to say who will end up being dissected!"

"We are all destined to slaughter True Immortals in the future. What is there to fear from a mere corpse?" Jin Changyue finally opened her tightly shut eyes. To be precise, it was triple pupils. At this moment, it seemed as if three distinct personalities existed within Jin Changyue's body: one was wrathful, one compassionate, and one empty. Three swords behind her clanged as they were drawn from their sheaths. Three streaks of blinding sword light illuminated the dim space. The previously blurry True Immortal's corpse now revealed its full appearance. Its pale face, remarkably, looked exactly like Qian Ruochang, who had led them here! Even the wicked, charming smile on its face was identical. The two smiles perfectly overlapped in everyone's minds.

"What's going on? Has Boss Qian met with misfortune?" The smile Qian Ruochang had left before his disappearance caused an uncontrollable flood of wild speculation in everyone's minds. Their minds were thrown into chaos.

"Playing tricks!" Jin Changyue roared, her anger not diminishing but intensifying. The three streaks of sword light merged into one. It pierced the True Immortal's brow. A drop of blood oozed from its brow. The still furious Jin Changyue was about to unleash more sword techniques when a flash of light enveloped her, and she vanished without a trace.

After a moment of astonishment, Dao Yuan, Jiang Yuming, and Nangong Hongzhao all came to their senses and unleashed their strongest divine abilities towards the True Immortal's corpse. Li Fan did the same. However, as he conjured a dagger using the power of the Dao Net, he didn't forget to shout a reminder: "Don't panic, brothers! Jin Changyue must have completed the trial and been safely teleported out. You just need to leave a wound on the True Immortal's corpse!"

The ethereal dagger, arriving faster than expected, appeared directly on the True Immortal's face. With a horizontal slash, it cut open along the corner of its mouth. The smile, which perfectly matched the hint left by Qian Ruochang, was instantly marred by Li Fan. The others also broke free from their internal delusions, as if waking from a dream, and unleashed all their abilities.

Li Fan, having completed the dissection of the True Immortal's corpse, had already been teleported out one step ahead of them. He was ranked second among the group, right after Jin Changyue. Soon after, Dao Yuan, Nangong, and the others' figures appeared one after another.

"Brother Ma, how were you able to use the power of the Dao Net just now?" Dao Yuan asked, somewhat perplexed.

"None of us could sense the presence of the Dao Net within, which is why we had no choice but to use our own divine abilities to dissect the corpse," Jiang Yuming said, his brows furrowed as he stared intently at Li Fan.

Hearing this, Li Fan was surprised. "What are you two talking about, brothers? We are at the core of the Dao Net; how could there be no Dao Net power around us?" This rhetorical question left both of them speechless. They wanted to say more, but as more and more people completed the trial and were teleported out, it became difficult to speak further.

Li Fan had not only offered a reminder but had also marred the terrifying appearance of the True Immortal's corpse. This clearly helped those who came after him a great deal. Everyone expressed their gratitude to Li Fan. This lively atmosphere was only broken when Qian Ruochang reappeared.

"You, you, and you..."

"Your performance was quite good. As for the others, they barely passed," Qian Ruochang said, pointing at the first five to emerge, including Jin Changyue, Li Fan, and Dao Yuan. "I hope you can maintain such understanding and mutual assistance when hunting True Immortals," he added, directing these last words specifically at Li Fan.

Li Fan's expression was solemn as he cupped his hands and replied, "This junior will keep it in mind."

Qian Ruochang snorted coldly.

Around the group, light and shadow continuously shifted. It felt as if they were rapidly surfacing from deep water. In an instant, they returned from the Deep Web to the normal territories of the Shuo Star Sea.

"The bait, I have already selected."

"Now I will take you to set the trap."

Utilizing the power of the Dao Net, they rapidly traversed space. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the outskirts of the Shuo Star Sea. Ahead, they saw an expanse of darkness. It was a place utterly devoid of life. This was precisely the direction Li Fan had come from: the Annihilation Lands!

They continued along a narrow, elongated vibrant star region for half a day until they completely left the Dao Net's covered area and manifested in reality.

"Boss Qian, are we acting here?" Even Jin Changyue, who was always confident, was now filled with doubt.

Qian Ruochang pointed forward. "No, no. We still need to go further!"

"But without the Dao Net, how can we be a match for that Immortal of Nothingness?" the group anxiously asked.

"Who said there's no Dao Net? Aren't we carrying the Dao-Outside-Transformation-Dao with us?"

With Qian Ruochang's reminder, they finally understood. Li Fan looked back at where they had come from and indeed saw a faintly visible, small Dao Net. It was as if the angle of light had shifted, infinitely stretching the shadow of the Dao Net. They had moved beyond the Dao Net's covered area. It was connected to the main Dao Net by only a single Dao String.

"This Immortal of Nothingness is extremely cunning. Capturing him within the Dao Net would be incredibly difficult."

"However, outside the Dao Net, in territory that originally belonged to True Immortals, his vigilance will greatly decrease."

"Let's go. We need to go even deeper, to a place where he will feel completely safe."

Saying this, Qian Ruochang continued to lead them deeper into the Annihilation Lands. Within the Annihilation Lands, there were few places where vitality still existed. The route was almost identical to the path leading to the High Wall of the Darkest Star Sea. So much so that Li Fan even suspected their destination this time was inside the High Wall. Fortunately, Qian Ruochang seemed unaware of the High Wall's existence. They bypassed the High Wall's location and continued deeper into the Annihilation Lands.

They finally stopped at a small, narrow, circular vital star region. Three-quarters of this region's boundary had already been cleansed by the Dao Annihilation Tribulation. It was connected to the outside world only by the remaining one-quarter, a narrow passage. Qian Ruochang seemed very familiar with the area. Within this star region, he surprisingly found a patch of floating, isolated ruins.

"Let me see, this should be the right place," he mumbled, picking up a few broken stones from the ground and observing them.

"First, set up the Dao-Outside-Transformation-Dao." He turned and gave the order, then continued collecting similar broken stones from the ruined ground.

Li Fan seemed to be diligently following the Dao Net's instructions, just like everyone else. However, his attention followed Qian Ruochang, wandering over the ruins. He wasn't using the consciousness of his Ma Tiande body. Instead, he was using the power of the Dreamland Paradise within this star region. This area was close to the Darkest Star Sea, Li Fan's current base of operations. It was naturally covered by the Dreamland Paradise.

"It's just ordinary ruins. What profound mystery could possibly attract He Ganxian?" Li Fan felt somewhat perplexed.

But Qian Ruochang soon provided the answer. When he returned after circling the area, he scattered a pile of broken stones on the ground. The faint aura emanating from them felt somewhat familiar to Li Fan.

"This is... an Immortal Realm Ascension Platform?"

"Not the one in the Immortal Ruins above the Xuanhuang Realm."

"But one that survived from another star region."

Qian Ruochang suddenly clapped his hands together above the pile of broken stones. Instantly, the stones turned into fine powder. Then, enveloped in light, this mass of powder transformed into an octagonal and square platform.