Chapter 505: Immortal Desire to Sever the Teachings

Initially, the elders within the sect dismissed the "New Law" as merely a shortcut or a minor technique, not worth their attention.

However, when some disciples secretly practiced it, their progress became astonishingly rapid. Soon, there were numerous instances of disciples surpassing their masters in cultivation levels within an extremely short period. Consequently, the situation began to shift. Witnessing the rapid advancement of their disciples' cultivation, the elders of the Grand Dao Sect grew increasingly uneasy.

While the Grand Dao Sect still upheld principles of hierarchical positions and seniority, the ancient law of the cultivation world—that the strong prey on the weak—remained an unchangeable reality. Previously, the elders maintained firm control over the sect's power, relying on their cultivation and status. Yet, before they even aged, they found their own cultivation realms being caught up to, and even surpassed by, their disciples. How could they remain indifferent when their position of authority was clearly being challenged?

As a result, the high-ranking elders divided into two factions. One faction argued that while the "New Law" indeed hastened cultivation, it did so by plundering the essence of heaven and earth, making it an unrighteous path. They warned that in the long run, it would cause irreversible damage to the world and thus must be strictly prohibited. The other faction countered that heaven and earth were vast, boundless, and virtually inexhaustible. They argued that while cultivators might indeed endlessly plunder resources for their own practice during their lives, not everyone achieved immortality. Upon their demise, all that they had absorbed would inevitably return to the world. Therefore, there was no cause for concern.

Currently, the "New Law" had spread across the land, leading to the rise of countless rogue cultivators. Many disciples in other major sects were also practicing it, greatly enhancing their strength. If the Grand Dao Sect chose not to adopt the New Law, it would inevitably fall behind.

Each faction presented valid arguments, and neither was willing to concede. However, as the faction supporting the New Law secretly continued their practice, their long-stagnant strength rapidly improved, and they gradually gained the upper hand in the internal power struggle.

When Li Fan and Senior Sister Zhao emerged from their seclusion, they were met with this chaotic situation.

"Against the principles of heaven and earth?" Senior Sister Zhao murmured, a strange glint in her eyes.

For some reason, while Li Fan was greatly drawn to the New Law, he also felt an inexplicable sense of trepidation, as if something ominous lurked within it.

"Regardless, the unusual nature of our cultivation of the *Heaven and Earth Intertwined Hymn* should now go unnoticed."

"Senior Sister, what are your thoughts on this so-called New Law?"

Senior Sister Zhao chuckled softly, "It's merely a clever trick. No matter how fast it is, can it truly surpass our dual cultivation method?"

"However, it should serve as a decent cover."

After a moment's contemplation, Li Fan nodded in agreement. Thus, outwardly, they too adopted the New Law. In reality, they continuously harnessed the power of dual cultivation, seizing this rare opportunity to fully enhance their cultivation realms.

Another decade passed. The conflict between the old and new methods escalated further. Beyond the internal strife within sects, rogue cultivators across the land formed the Myriad Immortal Alliance, attempting to challenge the authority of the Ten Immortal Sects.

While internal power struggles were one matter, outsiders seeking a share of power was an entirely different one. To maintain their dominance, the Ten Immortal Sects, which despite claiming unity had always engaged in internal scheming, finally reunited after several years. They formed a united army to suppress and conquer the Myriad Immortal Alliance.

They initially believed these rogue cultivators, who lacked substantial foundations, would swiftly collapse under the combined might of the Ten Immortal Sects. However, events unfolded somewhat unexpectedly. At first, when confronted by the attacks from the Ten Sects' cultivators, the Myriad Immortal Alliance indeed suffered a direct and devastating defeat with heavy casualties. Yet, their sheer numbers were overwhelming. Even if one wave was annihilated, a new wave of cultivators quickly emerged. Furthermore, in every battle, some Myriad Immortal Alliance cultivators managed to escape. After surviving one bloody battle after another, these cultivators' combat prowess transformed dramatically. Even the prodigies of the Ten Immortal Sects found it increasingly difficult to defeat them.

There were countless mortals in the world, and with the support of the New Law, these mortals could quickly be transformed into active forces for the Myriad Immortal Alliance. In contrast, the Ten Immortal Sects, upholding the pride and dignity of major powers, maintained extremely stringent criteria for selecting disciples. If a disciple fell in battle, it often took years, even over a decade, to find a suitable replacement. With this dynamic of ebb and flow, the power disparity between the two sides steadily diminished. The conflict settled into a stalemate.

Furthermore, as the casualty rates differed among the various sects, disagreements gradually emerged within the previously unified Immortal Sect allied army. Some sects even deliberately held back from combat, aiming to preserve their strength. Everyone recognized that at this stage, the rise of the Myriad Immortal Alliance was unstoppable.

Yet, the leaders of the Ten Immortal Sects remained unwilling to concede. They refused to share the world they had so painstakingly dominated with these mere mortals they had once dismissed entirely. Therefore, a strategy to "capture the leader to capture the rebels" was devised.

The rapid ascent of the Myriad Immortal Alliance was largely attributed to the so-called Law Propagators. These Propagators, in turn, were fiercely loyal to and obedient toward the Law Propagating Immortal Venerable. They believed that if the Law Propagating Immortal Venerable were eliminated, the Myriad Immortal Alliance, deprived of its spiritual leader, would inevitably collapse on its own. The Law Propagating Immortal Venerable was reportedly only at the Dao Integration realm, whereas the Ten Immortal Sects boasted numerous powerhouses at the Eternal Realm. If they could locate him and carry out a decapitation strike, this impasse could be broken.

The Ten Immortal Sects reached an agreement, each dispatching powerful experts from their ranks to form teams, vowing to assassinate the Law Propagating Immortal Venerable. However, the Law Propagating Immortal Venerable himself was notoriously elusive. To ascertain his whereabouts, the Ten Immortal Sects dispatched elite disciples across the land to gather intelligence. Li Fan and Senior Sister Zhao were naturally among these dispatched disciples.

This search lasted for over two decades. Aided by their dual cultivation, Senior Sister Zhao had by then successfully advanced to the Spirit Transformation realm. Li Fan, though a step behind, had also broken through to the Nascent Soul realm. Along their journey, they traversed every corner of the Xuanhuang Realm, eliminating countless rogue cultivators. Yet, they never found any trace of the Law Propagating Immortal Venerable.

"Senior Sister, what are your thoughts on this Law Propagating Immortal Venerable?" Li Fan inquired.

"The Law Propagating Immortal Venerable..." Senior Sister Zhao mused for a moment, then slightly shook her head. "I don't know."

Li Fan looked somewhat taken aback by her reply. Then he heard Senior Sister Zhao continue, "For one person to single-handedly overturn the entire structure of the cultivation world—the Xuanhuang Realm has not seen such a prodigious individual in ten thousand years."

"However, all information about him is merely rumor. His true origin and the reasons for his actions remain a complete mystery."

"Perhaps only by meeting him in person will we find the answers. I also wonder if our other fellow disciples have made any progress."

As the two conversed, they suddenly received a message from within their sect. After examining it, their expressions instantly transformed, becoming a mix of surprise and disbelief. It turned out that the decapitation plan, which had been ongoing for over two decades without any progress, had unexpectedly been canceled.

Li Fan and Senior Sister Zhao exchanged glances, knowing that something momentous must have occurred.