Chapter 810: Sudden Change in the Battle Situation

Besides the rugged terrain of Jiushan Province, which rendered teleportation arrays ineffective and prevented cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage from flying over the mountains, the complete defection of the Spiritual Essence Sect was also a significant reason for the Myriad Immortals Alliance's repeated failed offensives.

It was unknown what benefits the Five Elders Council promised the Spiritual Essence Sect. Under the Myriad Immortals Alliance's rule, this organization had always been prone to changing its allegiance. However, once brought under the Five Elders Council's control, it seemed to undergo a complete transformation, becoming absolutely loyal. They even captured several Myriad Immortals Alliance lobbyists who had secretly infiltrated their ranks and handed them over on the spot, demonstrating their absolute fealty.

With the offensive in Jiushan Province stalled, the Myriad Immortals Alliance shifted its strategy from attack to defense. They redeployed significant forces to guard the border provinces. Even their protective magic arrays were activated to cover entire provinces.

"Heavenly Origin Creation Array..." Li Fan looked up at the sky, which had turned an earthy yellow, and noticed the occasional wisps of spiritual energy being drawn away from his surroundings, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"The Myriad Immortals Alliance's grand protective array certainly has its intricacies. Unfortunately, it's far weaker than the Heaven Profound Spirit-Locking Array. With my Disintegration Disk, I can break it in an instant." Many images flashed through his mind. A moment later, as Li Fan subtly cast a spell with a flick of his fingers, a vacuum seemed to form around him. The Heavenly Origin Creation Array's function of drawing essence from heaven and earth lost its effect near Li Fan. More crucially, no one detected any anomaly.

"With the Myriad Immortals Alliance activating their protective array, under normal circumstances, the Five Elders Council won't be able to break through it quickly."

"The war might soon reach a stalemate, and then, as people forget, slowly subside..." "Oh no, oh no! Let me lend you another hand!"

Li Fan chuckled softly, his figure darting like a phantom towards the border of Shilun Province. He did not cross the defensive line into Jiushan Province. Instead, he arrived near a small border town called Heshi, not far from the white mist barrier.

A team of cultivators from the Myriad Immortals Alliance's Martial Arts Hall was stationed in the town. The Heshi Town Garrison Master, with a visibly anxious expression, was accompanying them, inspecting the specifics of the defensive measures, such as arrays and restrictions.

Without alarming the guards, Li Fan secretly entered the town. After they finally separated, he quietly located the Heshi Town Garrison Master.

The Garrison Master's name was Yu Dayi, and he had only recently achieved Golden Core cultivation. He had a prominent belly and a kind, seemingly honest face. Not long after resting, he was sipping spiritual tea to compose himself when he suddenly saw Li Fan appear before him without any warning.

His expression changed, and he was about to call for help. But then he noticed the other party examining him with interest, and with a thought, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"And you are?" Yu Dayi asked, narrowing his eyes.

"The Myriad Worlds United Association, I presume you've heard of it?" Li Fan said, deliberately using an odd voice.

Yu Dayi's face instantly changed again, but he cautiously refrained from admitting anything. Li Fan, meanwhile, continued to scan Yu Dayi up and down, chuckling strangely, "Riddled with infiltration, the Myriad Immortals Alliance indeed shows signs of impending doom!"

Yu Dayi's aura, at Li Fan's words, instantly became erratic and dangerous.

"Don't worry," Li Fan said indifferently, glancing at him. "Your identity as a Five Elders Council spy is known only to our Myriad Worlds United Association, no one else."

At this point, Yu Dayi finally dropped his pretense. Although he didn't know how he had been exposed, Yu Dayi maintained the basic composure of a spy, responding calmly, "What is it you seek by coming here, honored sir?"

"It's precisely your Five Elders Council that has disappointed us greatly. After capturing Jiushan Province, you should have pressed on, pursued your advantage, and annexed several more provinces. Why are you content now, inactive?"

Yu Dayi's expression turned somewhat grim. "Does honored sir truly believe the Myriad Immortals Alliance is easy to deal with? The successful surprise attack on Jiushan Province was the result of meticulous planning. Don't you see how heavily fortified these borders are? Just the grand protective array covering all the provinces isn't easily breached."

"Heh heh, the weak always like to make excuses for themselves. Or perhaps, are you fearful of the Dharma Transmitting Celestial Venerable, which is why you've hesitated to make a decisive move?" Li Fan sneered, casting a glance at Yu Dayi.

Before Yu Dayi could respond, Li Fan continued as if to himself, "However, your concerns are valid. Now is indeed not the time for a full-scale offensive."

"But then again, a slight advance, expanding the spoils of war a little more, wouldn't necessarily provoke the Dharma Transmitting Celestial Venerable into action."

With that, Li Fan tossed a jade slip over. Yu Dayi reacted quickly, caught it, and after examining its contents, could no longer maintain his composure. "The weaknesses of the Heavenly Origin Creation Array?" He looked at Li Fan, his eyes wide with shock. "This..."

"Whether it's true or false, you'll know once you try. I just hope you have the courage," Li Fan said with a sinister laugh.

Without waiting for another word, he flickered and vanished from Yu Dayi's sight.

Yu Dayi gripped the jade slip tightly, his expression shifting between doubt and resolve. This cultivator, who claimed to be from the Myriad Worlds United Association, had a mysterious background. His tone was astonishingly audacious. Not only did he know Yu Dayi's spy identity, but he also had complete knowledge of top-secret information like the Myriad Immortals Alliance's grand protective array. Yu Dayi was now caught in a dilemma.

"Should I really pass this information on?"

"The front lines are too heavily guarded now. To succeed, I would have to abandon this hard-won identity."

After much deliberation, Yu Dayi meticulously reread the contents of the jade slip. He then went alone to a quiet spot in the town and faced the Heavenly Origin Creation Array, which enveloped the province.

Less than half a day later, Yu Dayi's outer demeanor remained unchanged. In reality, his body was trembling uncontrollably, a tremor born of excitement.

"It's actually true." Yu Dayi took a deep breath, forcing down the excitement in his heart. He continued his normal activities, maintaining a calm expression. Three days later, he seized a rare opportunity and, under a pretense, left Heshi Town.

Li Fan then slowly revealed his presence.

"I hope the Five Elders Council doesn't disappoint me."

Yu Dayi's inexplicable disappearance quickly drew the attention of the Martial Arts Hall cultivators stationed in the town. By the time they confirmed his defection and hastily issued a joint investigation and arrest warrant to the border regions, Yu Dayi had already successfully returned to Jiushan Province and reunited with his organization.

There was only a brief calm for less than half a month. Even before the investigation into the Heshi Town spy incident and the Myriad Immortals Alliance's accountability process were completed, the Five Elders Council's furious, storm-like assault swiftly arrived.

The war erupted not only in Shilun Province but along all border lines simultaneously. The protective magic arrays, a major reliance for the Myriad Immortals Alliance, proved utterly useless, as if they didn't exist.

Caught off guard, the Myriad Immortals Alliance suffered heavy losses. Within seven days, news arrived of several provinces falling. Shilun Province, however, was still struggling to resist due to the heavy military presence stationed there.

The shift in the war situation was beyond everyone's expectations. The cultivators of the Immortal Alliance were immediately thrown into a state of panic.