Chapter 964: Return Point of the Returned Ruins

“To pry into my secrets, be prepared to pay a heavy price.”

Setting aside the "As I Am" ability that left first-time opponents completely vulnerable, Legatee Jiang's actual combat power was not as strong as Li Fan had imagined.

At the very least, many of his trump cards remained unused. Li Fan easily defeated him just by relying on the collective divine thoughts of those millions of demon gods!

“Even if he isn't dead, he's severely wounded!”

More critically, it was the grey mold sent into his opponent's divine consciousness!

The small, proliferating mold spores, previously cultivated by Li Fan using exotic beast flesh and sealed with colorful divine light, were now finally unleashed by Li Fan as a world-destroying weapon.

Indeed, Li Fan had truly fallen into a trap without realizing it before!

He had genuinely taken himself for the Legatee.

Fortunately, he always preferred to speak vaguely and ambiguously. Therefore, while being interrogated by his opponent, he did indeed reveal many of his own secrets.

But not too many were revealed.

He revealed the fact that he was in the Spiritwood Realm. However, the Spiritwood Realm was a name Li Fan himself had given to this minor world, and it was unknown to outsiders.

With countless Xuanhuang minor worlds, which one could be the Spiritwood Realm?

Although the millions of demon gods were brought forth by the "Three Calamities and Hundred Tribulations Divine Enlightenment Method," derived from the Cultivation and Derivation Jade, they were merely a transformation. Their fundamental prototype was the "Three Perils Ghost God Underworld Record." So, calling it a Profound Heaven secret art or an inheritance from the Immortal Realm would not be incorrect.

He revealed the fact that Mo Rubing had infiltrated the upper echelons of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, but his opponent only knew the name Mo Rubing.

As for who Mo Rubing was...

Anyway, with so many people at the Immortal Alliance headquarters, they could guess one by one.

He revealed his knowledge of the existence of the Hungry Immortal in the Immortal Ruins, and his ability to drag the Xuanhuang Realm down with him...

This, surprisingly, was not a bad thing. Instead, it was an invisible deterrent.

What was truly critical was that Li Fan revealed the actual existence of "True Return."

This was also why Li Fan, upon regaining consciousness, immediately unleashed the long-sealed grey mold as a counterattack.

As for why he didn't immediately "True Return"...

Li Fan carefully re-examined his opponent's reaction at the time.

“There was mostly confusion, no shock or surprise.”

“He only knew I possessed 'True Return,' but not its specific function.”

“Of course, it's not impossible that he will realize its true nature soon.”

“Provided he manages to stay alive.”

Li Fan pondered for a long time, ultimately deciding to observe the situation first and see how the Xuanhuang Realm would develop.

After all, his mind was now integrated with the Spiritwood Realm's heaven and earth. If a formidable enemy truly came knocking, he would have ample time to calmly execute "True Return."

“As for those millions of thought-demon gods, they truly couldn't be kept.”

Facing this incredibly powerful force, Li Fan did not hesitate, issuing a recall command.

From the myriad demon gods in his sea of consciousness, silver threads flew out. These represented the spiritual energy that dominated and controlled these demon gods.

After Li Fan withdrew them, what remained was merely an empty shell.

Although they still possessed combat power roughly equivalent to that of an Incarnation stage, they were ignorant and mindless, acting purely on instinct, and no longer had Li Fan's instructions for expansion or proliferation.

While the Myriad Immortals Alliance would still have to exert effort to suppress them, the cost would no longer be as great.

At the last moment, Li Fan informed Mo Rubing of his decision.

He then completely severed his connection with these demon gods.

“Using the sea of consciousness of millions of cultivators as a breeding ground, my spiritual perception strength almost doubled in a short period.”

Li Fan checked after retrieving his spiritual energy, and couldn't help but sigh softly.

“It truly is a supreme wondrous method, but unfortunately, it cannot be used frequently.”

“Next, let me see how the Myriad Immortals Alliance will deal with the surviving demon gods and that deadly grey mold.”

“I hope they can hold on for a few more years.”

Li Fan remained settled in the Spiritwood Realm, simply monitoring the changes in the Xuanhuang Realm closely through the followers of the Immortal of Red Dust Compassion.

At the Immortal Alliance headquarters, in the Realm of Returning to Emptiness.

Legatee Jiang, defeated by Li Fan, reappeared.

His appearance now was vastly different from his previous youthful form.

Cracks, like those on parched earth, appeared on his face.

His hair, too, had turned entirely grey.

Even more terrifying, parts of his flesh had become blurred and indistinct.

With successive writhing movements, they simply vanished into thin air.

Even though he had tried his utmost to endure, Legatee Jiang was almost riddled with holes.

But Legatee Jiang did not seek help from other Legatees.

Because he knew that the grey mold, which had caused all this, was highly contagious.

If he hadn't used his own body as a prison, barely containing it with all the power within him, and if this place weren't the Realm of Returning to Emptiness, where there was absolute void apart from him, this grey mold would have had no way to spread...

...the Myriad Immortals Alliance, and even the Xuanhuang Realm, would likely be utterly devastated by now.

With his life nearing its end, Legatee Jiang's face, for some reason, showed no trace of fear.

He calmly analyzed, “The Immortal Script characters are very similar in structure to the Chaotic Word Art. They should originate from the same source...”

“Could the calamity of that year be related to the Profound Heaven Sect? Impossible...”

Legatee Jiang's face was filled with too much doubt and confusion.

Soon after, Legatee Jiang was finally completely devoured by the grey mold.

Leaving behind only a large, writhing greyish-yellow shadow, attempting to spread outwards.

But in the Realm of Returning to Emptiness, there was only absolute void.

Thus, the grey mold could only be trapped in this small isolated world.

It hesitated, unable to advance.

An unknown amount of time passed.

A powerful fluctuation swept through the Realm of Returning to Emptiness at a constant speed.

The grey mold seemed to sense something, churning like boiling water.

Then it rapidly expanded outwards.

It seemed to form a vast sheet of greyish-yellow paper, attempting to occupy the entire Realm of Returning to Emptiness.

But something strange happened.

Where the fluctuation passed, the grey mold — of unknown origin, capable of potentially destroying an entire cultivation realm, and even greatly feared by Li Fan — instantly vanished, inch by inch!

The Realm of Returning to Emptiness, too, reverted to its previous state of utter void.

No...

Besides the absolute void, there was another presence in the Realm of Returning to Emptiness.

Without any warning, Legatee Jiang, who should have been dead, suddenly reappeared in the Realm of Returning to Emptiness!

Legatee Jiang did not seem surprised by his resurrection.

He merely looked around, a hint of surprise appearing on his face: “This time, upon returning to origin, no information was left behind?”

“What exactly did I encounter?”

“Could even information itself be contaminated?”

As Legatee Jiang muttered to himself, all the numerous events that had occurred in the Myriad Immortals Alliance, both current and previously recorded, surfaced in his mind.

“Tried to hunt down the culprit, but got killed instead.”

“Interesting.”