Chapter 840: Source External Force

The “Mind Monkey” and “Idea Horse” are entities that exist in stark contrast to the rules of the Profound Yellow World. They are suspected to be residual powers of the Heavenly Dao, left over from the Profound Yellow World's process of devouring and integrating other smaller worlds.

No wonder they can still exert their influence even within the sphere of the Eternal Celestial Venerable's illogical power.

Eerie power…

Li Fan recalled that during his 114th life, while combating the Profound Net, the Heaven-Covering Society had created a formidable weapon known as the Sky-Rupturing Arrow. Its exact manufacturing process remained unknown, but its materials were sourced from the increasingly frequent eerie phenomena of that era. The Profound Net had usurped the heavens, and its power was no different from that of the Heavenly Dao in the current Profound Yellow World. Since the Sky-Rupturing Arrow could damage the Profound Net, it implied it could also inflict harm upon the Profound Yellow Heavenly Dao!

It now appears that although this eerie power differs from the laws of the Profound Yellow World, it is ultimately a force that can be mastered and wielded, rather than an illogical and irrational entity.

Li Fan carefully examined the dazzling sphere in his hand. “I never imagined that the Myriad Immortal Alliance's research into these eerie phenomena had advanced to such a degree. It truly shows that unless you push them, you never know how many hidden strategies they possess.”

“But this is also reasonable,” Li Fan suddenly mused, recalling a giant map he had seen when he met Gongsun Qixuan at the Heavenly Mystery Hall in the Cloud Sea. The map seemed to mark the locations where eerie incidents had occurred within the Cloud Sea. The Myriad Immortal Alliance has always maintained strict surveillance over these eerie phenomena. It's quite normal for them to be able to apply this power, even if only preliminarily, on this occasion.

Both “Mind Monkey” and “Idea Horse” are terrifying eerie phenomena connected to mental power, capable of directly transforming cultivators into monstrous entities. Once transformed into a “Mind Monkey,” a cultivator's divine sense can be enhanced. Transforming into an “Idea Horse,” moreover, can directly nourish the soul!

“When I consumed the Idea Horse, I experienced a power that was both intensely illusory and terrifyingly real. If one believed they died within the illusion, they could genuinely perish in reality! Consciousness can alter matter…”

Given the cheap and widespread deployment of these dazzling spheres, it seems the Myriad Immortal Alliance must have fully mastered the application of this external rule.

After pondering for a long time, Li Fan could not find any method to counteract it. He could barely claim proficiency in the laws of the Profound Yellow World, let alone this external power.

Li Fan could deeply understand the predicament the Council of Five Elders was currently facing. A sage once proclaimed, “Therefore, in the governance of the wise, empty their minds, fill their bellies, weaken their ambitions, strengthen their bones, and ensure the populace remains ignorant and without desire.”

Cultivators currently affected by the dazzling spheres all proclaimed themselves “Children of Destiny.” Their potential for destruction was simply incomparable to that of ordinary cultivators.

Before his transmigration, Li Fan had read numerous online novels. In those books, protagonists were, more often than not, transmigrators. Why? Besides enhancing the reader's sense of immersion, it also instilled a sense of anticipation. The destiny of transmigrators was generally quite different from that of the so-called natives. Having witnessed other worlds and recognized their own “extraordinary” nature, it was utterly impossible for them to live in blissful ignorance like the natives. They were destined to make a name for themselves. Regardless of the ultimate outcome, there would inevitably be a period of earnest effort.

The dazzling spheres deployed by the Myriad Immortal Alliance actually achieved a similar effect. They made the affected cultivators believe themselves to be exceptional, with ambitions soaring higher than the heavens. Furthermore, the tempering through ninety-nine cycles of reincarnation was indeed a tremendous opportunity for these cultivators. It was enough for a significant portion of them to transform from humble serpents into majestic dragons, completing a profound metamorphosis!

“It's like thousands of weakened transmigrators appearing within the territory of the Council of Five Elders,” Li Fan mused. “And they've been brainwashed to be permanently hostile. Tsk, tsk... It's also highly probable that the Myriad Immortal Alliance is embedding useful cultivation techniques and other aids within the reincarnation illusions of the dazzling spheres, helping these ‘Children of Destiny’ to achieve rapid success.”

Li Fan wore a look of schadenfreude. “Let's see how they handle it.”

“Lin Ling, if the Council of Five Elders sends any more inquiries, ignore them for now,” Li Fan instructed.

Lin Ling nodded, appearing to understand yet not fully grasping the implications.

“A fierce counterattack means creating internal chaos within the Council of Five Elders, leaving them temporarily preoccupied and unable to focus on the Myriad Immortal Alliance. It seems the Immortal Alliance truly places great importance on this grand examination.” Li Fan stroked his chin.

Amidst widespread anticipation, the month-long grand examination finally concluded. Cultivators returned one after another from the Heavenly Profound Mirror, each displaying a mix of joy and concern.

On Haixuan Island, the six cultivators from the Cloud Sea Mutual Aid Society who had registered for the grand examination gathered together.

“Judging by Fellow Daoist He's expression, you must be absolutely confident this time?”

Originally, only four cultivators, including He Zhenghao, were set to participate in the grand examination. However, after the Immortal Alliance announced the selection of the Thirty-Three Chosen Immortals, two more were suddenly spurred into action. They decided to give it their all. Although their preparation time was significantly shorter than that of He Zhenghao's group of four, judging by their expressions, the results seemed quite promising.

“Cramming before the exam really worked,” said Wei Qizheng, one of the two cultivators, with some excitement. “The content of Fellow Daoist Ji's question bank was immense. I honestly didn't have time to go through it all; I just casually skimmed and memorized a few parts. But my luck was truly amazing, because most of the exam questions were surprisingly ones I had already committed to memory! As for the questions not in the bank, I feel I performed quite well too,” Wei Qizheng shared, radiating joy.

He Zhenghao stroked his beard, also smiling. “Then shouldn't we congratulate young brother Wei in advance?” The others also joined in the playful teasing. They all appeared to be brimming with confidence.

Just then, Ji Shaoli gave a light cough, interrupting their lively atmosphere. However, perhaps because not much time had passed since the outbreak of the Immortal-Mortal Miasma, the cultivators present still harbored a lingering apprehension towards coughing sounds. Before Ji Shaoli could even speak, their expressions changed, and they all looked at him in unison. Seeing their questioning gazes, Ji Shaoli was somewhat at a loss for words.

“I'm fine,” he reassured them. He waved his hand and got down to business. “Once the grand examination results are released, you will inevitably face scrutiny from the Myriad Immortal Alliance. If it's discovered that you knew the exam questions beforehand, that would be problematic.”

Upon hearing this, everyone's heart skipped a beat.

“However…” Ji Shaoli said with a slight smile. “Our Mutual Aid Society possesses a secret technique called ‘Covering the Sky with One Hand.’ I will impart it to you shortly. With the aid of this secret technique, you will have nothing to worry about!”

He Zhenghao and the others were all visibly overjoyed. Ji Shaoli lightly touched the center of everyone's brows with a finger. Moments later, everyone present closed their eyes, beginning to comprehend and cultivate.

Ji Shaoli took the opportunity to observe them subtly. The quickest to awaken was precisely the cultivator named Wei Qizheng. In previous lives, while befriending He Zhenghao, Li Fan had occasionally heard about this exceptionally talented young man. However, as Li Fan's horizons broadened over time, he encountered far too many prodigies. Consequently, he hadn't paid much particular attention to this individual.