Chapter 494: Physical and Mental Disability

The underlying structures of the formations were different, but the sense of confinement and sealing everything off was identical. Li Fan could even boldly guess that the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation might have drawn its inspiration from this Profound Heaven Shadow-Locking Formation. The term "Profound Heaven" made it hard for Li Fan not to think of the Profound Heaven Sect, which had vanished into the annals of history.

"Could it be that the anomalies in the world can be traced back to the time when the Profound Heaven Sect still existed?"

"Doesn't that mean one might also encounter anomalies in the Fallen Immortal Realm?"

While Li Fan was studying the formation diagram, his thoughts wandered.

The formation diagram was made using a special method and encrypted with several restrictions, preventing outsiders from discerning the Shadow-Locking Formation's complete structure. It allowed those not proficient in formations to deploy the formation through foolproof operations.

"This is truly ingenious!" After much study, Li Fan temporarily gave up the idea of acquiring the Shadow-Locking Formation's complete structure, sighing softly.

During his routine inspections of the construction progress, taking advantage of moments when no one was watching, Li Fan carved the Profound Heaven Shadow-Locking Formation into the gradually forming Cloud Immortal City.

While Li Fan was racking his brains over building the Sky City, far away in the territory of the Five Elders' Association, the wisp of consciousness attached to the puppet's body was also having a rather difficult time. Almost two months had passed since he arrived in front of the bamboo hut and began listening to the scholar's lectures. He hadn't gained much understanding regarding the specific situation of the Five Elders' Association. Instead, he was forced to remember many legends of cultivators in the Human Dao Heavenly Realm who could change heaven and earth.

Wang Linlang loved beauty and vowed that "no one on earth shall see white hair." Consequently, within the Human Dao Heavenly Realm, even elderly mortals had heads full of gleaming black hair. Yue Chengjin, abandoned by his beloved, harbored resentment and cursed, "May all lovers in the world eventually become siblings." This led to various tragedies of forbidden love for decades. Fortunately, under the power of a deeply in love couple's vows, the rule of "becoming siblings" was eventually reversed. Qu Su loved fishing but often returned empty-handed. So he made a grand vow that all fish in the world would bite when they saw bait. Consequently, everyone became a fishing master.

Such tales were countless. They were initially interesting to hear, but after listening for three straight months, it naturally became unbearable. However, like the other cultivators in front of the bamboo house, Li Fan was unable to control his own body. He couldn't block out the scholar's voice either and was forced to listen. Li Fan even discovered that everything the scholar said seemed to be deeply etched into his mind; he couldn't forget it even if he tried. So everyone, with frustrated expressions, endured the scholar's brainwashing.

One day, the scholar, who had been speaking for a long time, finally felt a hint of fatigue. He stood up and stretched.

"As the saying goes, 'hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once,'" the scholar said. "Even if I spoke for another hundred years, it wouldn't compare to you going out and seeing for yourselves." The scholar looked at the cultivators from the Myriad Immortals Alliance present and revealed a benevolent smile. "I will give you three years," he announced. "Within these three years, you are free to go anywhere within the Five Elders' Association's territory."

"After three years, you will return here. At that time, I hope you will tell me in person your thoughts on the Five Elders' Association."

With that, the scholar turned around and slowly walked into the bamboo house. As the bamboo door closed with a thud, the restraints on everyone disappeared.

"What does this mean? Are they just letting us go?" The cultivators from the Myriad Immortals Alliance were filled with doubt and suspicion.

"Is there some conspiracy?"

"This fellow cultivator must be truly scared, jumping at every shadow," someone remarked. "Aren't we like meat on a chopping board now, at their mercy? Why would they need any conspiracy to deal with us?"

"Hmph! Why should we boost others' morale and diminish our own prestige!"

"Heh heh, in my opinion," another chimed in, "although Fellow Cultivator Lü Fan's words were a bit harsh, what he said was quite reasonable."

Although everyone was talking at once, not a single person dared to stand up and leave the valley. Li Fan shook his head slightly and paid them no mind. He walked directly in the direction he had come from, drawing sideways glances from everyone. The further he got from the bamboo hut, the more his extremely compressed body gradually returned to normal. Besides that, he met no further obstruction.

Walking out of the long tunnel and reaching outside the cave, Li Fan found that the armored cultivators who had been guarding them earlier were also gone. He flew into the air, attempting to locate traces of Myriad Immortals Island. But where Myriad Immortals Island had been, it was utterly empty, not a single trace remaining.

"I wonder if the Five Elders' Association eventually found what they were looking for." Li Fan's gaze swept across his surroundings. He couldn't help but feel a sense of desolation, realizing that although the world was vast, he had no idea where he belonged.

As he was feeling a surge of melancholy, he suddenly realized something was wrong. He was not someone given to sentimental brooding or affectation. Why would he inexplicably have such thoughts? The scholar's figure flashed through his mind. Was it him?

Just as Li Fan was secretly alarmed, he suddenly heard shouts coming from below, in the distance: "Fellow Cultivator Jiao, Fellow Cultivator Jiao!" He paused, then Li Fan realized they were calling him. Looking in the direction of the voice, Li Fan saw it was precisely the cultivator named Lü Fan.

"Fellow Cultivator Jiao, where are you headed? Why don't we travel together?" Lü Fan had followed him out of the cave, looked around, found Li Fan, and hastily caught up. Seeing Li Fan looking at him without replying, Lü Fan explained: "The territory of the Five Elders' Association is vast, no smaller than that of the Myriad Immortals Alliance. This is a foreign land, and we are unfamiliar with it. Traveling together, we can at least look out for each other."

"I've heard that among all the regions of the Five Elders' Association, the Land of Carefree Bliss is the most desirable," Lü Fan continued, his tone somewhat excited. "Not only does it offer all sorts of incredible pleasures, but there's also a wondrous item called the Carefree Crystal. Consuming it makes one feel ethereal, like an immortal ascending to ultimate bliss..."

Li Fan stared at him for a moment and asked, "I recall, Fellow Cultivator, that you previously served as a recorder in the Cloud Sea Administration Hall. Since you received emoluments from the Myriad Immortals Alliance and have now regained your freedom, why aren't you thinking of returning to your homeland? Instead, you seem eager to join the Five Elders' Association?"

Hearing this, Lü Fan suddenly froze. Then beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and his face turned deathly pale. Seeing this, Li Fan understood.

"As expected, it was that scholar's doing."

"The Five Elders' Association certainly has a knack for manipulating people's minds."

Lü Fan muttered, "What a clever trick. If Fellow Cultivator hadn't reminded me, I might not have noticed it even now." A moment later, Lü Fan sighed deeply. "No wonder the Five Elders' Association was so confident in letting us leave," he mused. "Even though I now clearly understand my thoughts have been influenced, I still can't change."

"Even though I know the Myriad Immortals Alliance is my home, I simply cannot bring myself to want to return..."

As Lü Fan was rambling on, he was stunned to find that Li Fan had flown directly into the distance.

"Fellow Cultivator Jiao, where are you going? Take me with you!"

"Yi Xin Immortal Sect!" Li Fan said without looking back.