Enraged, the True Immortal intensified the downpour.
Sheets of rain, like curtains, divided the battlefield.
Through the gaps, Li Fan saw a dozen cultivators, unable to withstand the crushing pressure, explode into gore. Then, their remains, mixing with the rain, coalesced into "rain men."
These rain men, empowered by the downpour, attacked Li Fan from all sides.
Feigning panic, he raised his umbrella and transformed into a streak of light, his speed exceeding even the falling rain, effortlessly escaping the encirclement. He passed through the torrential rain without a single drop touching him.
Reaching a safe distance, Li Fan looked at the True Immortal, whose gaze was still fixated on him, and sneered. "Shave his head!"
His voice, as if imbued with magic, caused everyone to momentarily freeze.
The True Immortal's eyes widened, and he roared, "I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"
His rage was palpable, his resentment boundless.
The rain, previously falling evenly, now converged upon Li Fan like a water spout.
But the True Immortal's attack couldn't stop Li Fan's Dao Net command.
Invisible waves pulsed across the battlefield, enveloping the True Immortal. Countless invisible scissors seemed to be trimming his hair and beard. As his disguise fell away, the True Immortal's true appearance was revealed.
Though gaunt, he was still strikingly handsome, his body covered in deep, unhealed wounds, the flesh writhing as if trying to regenerate, but held back by some unseen force.
The remaining cultivators, sensing the opportunity, focused their attacks on these wounds.
The True Immortal screamed in pain.
The water spout, converging upon Li Fan, overwhelmed his umbrella. The rain pounded him from all sides, assaulting his body and mind, drowning out all other sounds and obscuring his vision.
Even with a protective raincoat, he felt himself being erased, like dust washed away by the downpour.
"So this is the Dao of [Rain]…"
"If I don't act, I'll be completely erased, all traces of my existence vanishing like mud washed away by the rain."
"Even restrained by the Dao Net, this True Immortal can unleash such power. He must have been formidable in his prime!"
Immersed in the rain, experiencing the Dao's power firsthand, Li Fan gained valuable insights.
As inspiration struck, another rain manifested around him, its drops falling in the opposite direction, weakening the True Immortal's downpour.
Though it couldn't completely negate the attack, combined with the raincoat, it ensured his safety.
As Li Fan continued studying the Dao of Rain, observing the True Immortal's struggles, a sense of unease arose.
"Being stripped naked is a minor humiliation compared to being captured by mortals. This True Immortal's reaction is excessive. His screaming and loss of control…"
"It's not befitting of someone who can control such power."
"Something's wrong!"
Li Fan's mind raced.
He looked around. The armor and hair he had removed with his "Remove Armor, Shave Head" commands were gone!
"His apparent distress was a ruse, a distraction to facilitate his escape."
Li Fan quickly formulated a plan, about to activate the [Imprisonment] command through the Dao Net.
But then, he reconsidered. This wasn't a real Immortal Hunt but a trial. With so many observers, could a mere True Immortal truly escape?
"This must be another test. Exposing it would draw unwanted attention. But if I feign ignorance…"
After a moment's hesitation, Li Fan chose to reveal his abilities.
"Be careful! Don't let him escape!" he shouted, scanning his surroundings while chanting, "Imprisonment!"
The manifested Dao Net rippled as if stirred by a gust of wind, its interwoven strings becoming more distinct, shimmering with a silver light. The scattered pieces of armor and hair were instantly locked in place.
The Dao Net's strings vibrated as the True Immortal struggled.
The other cultivators, jolted back to reality, resumed their attack, some focusing on the True Immortal's body, others on the scattered armor and hair.
The outcome was inevitable. The True Immortal, trapped and weakened, was about to be defeated by these "ants."
A flash of light, and the True Immortal vanished. Not through escape, but because the second trial had ended.
Li Fan met the curious gazes of the other cultivators with a smile.
"The third trial…"
"Survival!"
Before the cold voice finished, the Dao Net, previously a mere backdrop, descended like a collapsing sky, its strings like falling boulders.
Many cultivators were instantly crushed, seemingly killed outright, not merely eliminated.
The Dao Net, their supposed tool, had become a weapon. The remaining cultivators could only rely on their own abilities to survive this sudden disaster.
But…
The Shuo Star Sea cultivators, especially those participating in the Immortal Hunter trials, relied almost entirely on Dao Origin symbols and Dao Net commands. Without the Dao Net's support, their abilities were limited.
How could they survive such a catastrophe?
Except for a few exceptional individuals from the major factions, most perished quickly.
The survivors struggled desperately, their options dwindling as the Dao Net continued to collapse.
They were cornered.
Li Fan, with his Light Transformation escape technique, fared better. But seeing only sixteen survivors, including himself, he felt a surge of doubt.
"The previous Immortal Hunter trials weren't this rigorous. Has something changed within the Shuo Star Sea?"
The trial's difficulty clearly exceeded their expectations. Panic replaced their earlier confidence as they fought for their lives.
"Aaah!"
Another cultivator was crushed by a falling Dao Net string, right before Li Fan's eyes, their soul dissipating into motes of light that merged with the Dao Net.
But this death gave Li Fan a crucial insight.
Having witnessed countless deaths, he realized that this "death" was different from a cultivator's true demise.
Understanding dawned upon him.
"I see. This trial isn't about testing our abilities, but our willingness to die. To survive the Dao Net's collapse without using its power requires an almost impossible level of skill. Shuo Star Sea cultivators, trained from birth to rely on the Dao Net, have almost no chance of passing…"
"Anyone who survives must be an outsider!"
"Death is the path to success. Survivors will be captured and interrogated."
Li Fan grasped the trial's true nature.
"Of course, dying too quickly won't do either. The first group were truly killed. But their lack of reaction in the face of danger sealed their fate. Only those who die at the right moment will be chosen." Analyzing the trial from the examiner's perspective, he quickly understood.
He feigned exhaustion, appearing to struggle, on the verge of collapse. Even knowing the trial's true nature, facing the falling Dao Net strings, it was incredibly difficult to resist the instinct to survive and willingly embrace death.
Death held a primal terror.
And the collapsing Dao Net amplified this fear.
Even Li Fan, accustomed to dancing with death, nearly succumbed to the urge to escape as a silver string descended upon him.
But he suppressed it, allowing the string to crush him.
His vision turned white. His consciousness faded.
In this state of oblivion, he sensed a powerful consciousness scanning his mind.
Instinctively, he quieted his mind, embracing stillness, using his miniature Dao Net as a shield, projecting Ma Tiande's memories onto its surface.
Being essentially identical, the miniature Dao Net seamlessly merged with the larger Dao Net. Even the powerful consciousness, after a brief scrutiny, couldn't detect the anomaly.
The oppressive feeling of being observed vanished. Li Fan "returned to life," his body and consciousness restored.
He was no longer in the trial space but on a circular platform floating in the void. Figures stood around the platform, their features obscured, observing the survivors with amusement and curiosity, but no malice.
Li Fan looked around.
The other survivors seemed disoriented, still recovering.
More figures flickered into existence on the platform.
After a short while, when everyone had arrived, the announcing voice returned, no longer cold and impersonal, but gentler.
"The final trial: Combat!"
Li Fan understood. "Reaching this stage means we've passed. This combat trial is merely for ranking."
Those who remained were undoubtedly among the Shuo Star Sea's elites.
Though still disoriented, upon hearing the command, they instinctively attacked those around them.
Li Fan was also targeted.
Moving like lightning, he effortlessly evaded all attacks.
Then, he shouted, "Remove his armor!"
The cultivators targeting him froze, then retreated hastily.
They were all intelligent individuals. They understood that this final trial was a formality. Losing the fight was one thing, but being stripped naked before their future colleagues…
Deterred by the "Remove Armor" command, they avoided Li Fan, only occasionally launching sneak attacks, which he easily dodged.
The combat was brief and controlled.
The outcome was quickly decided.
A light screen descended upon the circular platform, displaying the names of the twenty-eight survivors, ranked based on their performance in the four trials.
Ma Tiande was fifth.
"My performance in the second trial, the True Immortal hunt, must have boosted my score."
Li Fan looked at the top-ranked individual, the focus of everyone's attention.
It was the cultivator who had used the wind technique to repel the True Immortal's rain.
Dao Yuan.
Tall and slender, with piercing eyes, he met their gazes calmly, smiling and bowing slightly.
Li Fan recalled his background from the information he had reviewed.
He was from the Myriad Dao Palace of the Shuo Star Sea.
For a faction to use "Dao" in its name, it must be confident in its understanding.
Originally survivors from another destroyed Star Sea, they had established themselves despite facing numerous threats, reportedly making significant contributions to the Dao Net's creation. They were now a force rivaling the Sword Domain and Blade Island.
"Having joined the [Immortal Hunters], you will obey all commands."
"Disobedience will be punished by death."
"Your first mission…"
The survivors' expressions shifted. They hadn't expected to be assigned a mission before even receiving any training.
"Half a day ago, a True Immortal, lured by our [Immortal Bait], crossed the Obliteration Zone and entered the Dao Net's range."
"They are nearing the Shuo Star Sea."
"This True Immortal is severely injured, their Dao is [Barbarian]. A suitable target for your first hunt…"
A figure emerged from the group of observers outside the circular platform.
Short but muscular, clad in blood-red robes, he carried a black stone pillar on his shoulder, a strange and unsettling sight.
"I wish you success in your first hunt!" he said with a grin, patting the pillar.
(End of Chapter)