Chapter 885: Misfortune Diverted Eastward

Ji Shaoli stood motionless at that moment, like a lamb awaiting slaughter, his face frozen in a mixture of terror and shock. As he looked at the withered yellow branch in the other person's hand, a mocking smile subtly formed on the young man's lips.

"An ancient earth vein tree, and this mysterious, colorful radiance..." the young man mused. "A mere Golden Core stage cultivator possessing such a treasure? When did such a formidable organization appear under the Myriad Immortals Alliance? Let me take a good look."

Under the young man's gaze, Ji Shaoli's soul was slowly drawn from his body. In that instant, his physical form aged hundreds of times over, and within moments, it crumbled into a skeleton, scattered across the ground. What the young man was employing was clearly a profoundly malevolent soul-searching technique!

Ji Shaoli's soul, offering no resistance, fell into the young man's grasp. Instantly, as the soul-searching technique was performed, a flood of information surged into the young man's mind. His body trembled slightly, and a glint of horror flashed in his eyes. "The Xuantian Sect?"

At that very moment, the soul-searching technique seemed to trigger a restriction within the opponent's soul. Before the young man could fully extract all the information, the soul faded and vanished like a wilting flower. He did not seem to mind this outcome.

"If the information I just gleaned from the soul search is true, then such a restriction within the soul is only logical," he thought. "I didn't expect the Xuantian Sect to still be a lingering presence after thousands of years." The young man couldn't help but frown slightly.

The recent soul search revealed that the cultivator named Ji Shaoli had been taken as a subordinate by a mysterious Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect. This Dharma King was secretly cultivating forces in the Congyun Sea and various regions of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, attempting to rise again. "In this day and age, they still haven't given up. Truly preposterous," the young man scoffed, yet inwardly, he held no complacency.

"The Purple Heaven Sect ruins? Hiding in such a place..." A chilling light gleamed in the young man's eyes, and his figure slowly vanished.

Meanwhile, Li Fan, who was now not far from the Purple Heaven Sect, sensed the disappearance of his clone. He paused slightly, as a few vague images flickered in his mind, making him thoughtful. "The Heaven-Grasping Bureau?" he mused. "An organization like that actually exists. But then again, it's only normal."

"My previous idea—that simply knowing about the World Soul would allow me to cultivate Dao Integration cultivators at will—was somewhat naive," he reflected. "The Myriad Immortals Alliance has existed for thousands of years; if it lacked even this level of control, it would have been overthrown long ago." Suppressing these thoughts for now, Li Fan gazed at the nearby ruins of the Purple Heaven Sect.

"Since the fish have taken the bait, I'll just wait and watch the show unfold," he murmured. His eyes narrowed slightly as his divine sense swept across the area. Soon, guided by the intelligence he possessed from his previous life and a faint wisp of vitality almost imperceptible to others, Li Fan located the sleeping Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect in a sealed chamber deep underground!

Upon seeing his face, it was indeed identical to Li Chen of the Purple Heaven Sect, the very person Li Fan had once possessed! He unleashed a devastating Calamity Severing Sword Qi, sending it directly underground.

The sword qi, imbued with a destructive aura, seemed poised to swallow everything within the chamber. Just as the black light was about to make contact, golden threads suddenly materialized in the void. The secret chamber began to disintegrate, but a protective sphere formed by these golden threads consistently shielded Li Chen at its center.

Seeing this, Li Fan relentlessly launched several more destructive sword qi. Under the immense force, the golden threads buckled inward, appearing as if they could snap at any moment. At this critical juncture, the Xuantian Sect Dharma King finally slowly opened his eyes.

Li Fan smiled, then flickered out of sight, vanishing without a trace. A moment later, upon waking, Li Chen remained stunned in place for a brief period.

Having been in slumber for too long, it would take him some time to sort through the memories in his mind. However, before he could fully grasp his current situation, Li Chen's expression subtly changed. He suddenly realized that the surrounding space seemed to have been sealed off. Recalling the recent attack, Li Chen instantly understood that his hiding place had somehow been discovered.

Yet, he was still a Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect, a figure who had calmly evaded the pursuit of the Ten Immortal Sects in the past. Though startled, he remained composed. First, he retrieved a porcelain bottle from his storage ring and took a sip of the colorful nectar it contained. The languid aura that had settled upon him due to his prolonged slumber instantly solidified.

Just as Li Chen regained his strength, a portal opened in the sky. Dozens of black-clad cultivators emerged in unison, their expressions solemn, their killing intent almost tangible. Leading them was the very young cultivator who had recently performed soul-searching on Ji Shaoli in the Congyun Sea.

He squinted, surveying the ruins below. "Three bell tolls—it truly is a Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect!" A thrill of excitement ran through him. The young man waved his hand, and the black-clad cultivators instantly dispersed to various points in the sky, each holding a small mirror. Once positioned, boundless greenish-blue light emanated from their mirrors.

In an instant, the light swept across the entire space. Under its greenish glow, the underground area became transparent, revealing Li Chen, who had been concealed, to the assembled members of the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

Surrounded by the group, Li Chen showed no sign of panic. He simply stared at the small mirrors held by the black-clad cultivators, a mix of nostalgia and resentment flickering in his eyes. Seeing Li Chen's gaze, the young Dharma Transmitter inwardly scoffed.

With a mental command, the surrounding black-clad cultivators, at his instruction, raised their small mirrors high. They aimed countless green light beams at the Xuantian Sect Dharma King below, and the green light coalesced into sturdy shackles, binding Li Chen.

Li Chen's face showed a mocking sneer. "Using artifacts of our Xuantian Sect to try and capture a Dharma King of the Xuantian Sect?" he scoffed. "Have cultivators truly become this foolish?"

A clear bell-like sound seemed to resonate beside Li Chen as he spoke. In an instant, the green light shackling him twisted in an uncanny manner, and the restraints loosened.

Immediately, differing expressions appeared on Li Chen's and the young man's faces. Li Chen's was a mix of surprise and solemnity, while the young man's was pure ecstasy. "Fellow Daoist of the Xuantian Sect, please come with me!" he announced loudly, taking a deep breath to suppress his surging excitement.

Li Chen, however, completely ignored him. The clear bell-like sound rang out once more, and the greenish light emanating from the small mirrors began to shake violently. Then, as if losing all control, it erupted fiercely, instantly engulfing the entire ruins of the Purple Heaven Sect.

Amidst the blinding light, and under the gaze of everyone present, Li Chen's figure vanished in an instant! This turn of events occurred so rapidly that even the young Dharma Transmitter was caught completely off guard.