An eerie silence fell upon the scene of the failed Immortal Hunt.
The Immortal Hunters exchanged glances, no one daring to speak.
Finally, someone asked hesitantly, "Brother Dao, the World Crossing Profound Coffin… it was a fake, right?"
All eyes turned to Dao Yuan.
Even the usually composed Dao Yuan looked flustered. He cleared his throat. "Don't panic! Perhaps the Barbarian and Absence Immortals used some unknown method to conceal the coffin. It might still be here. We…"
A panicked voice interrupted him. "Impossible! A fake coffin actually facilitated World Crossing?!"
The speaker, Nangong Hongzhao, the one who had vouched for the coffin's authenticity, flew towards its previous location, ignoring everything else.
"Disaster!" The new Immortal Hunters' faces paled. If, as Dao Yuan suspected, the coffin was merely concealed, Nangong Hongzhao's reckless action would expose him to the two True Immortals, potentially leading to his death and compromising their ambush.
They tried to stop him, but he was too fast, reaching the location in the blink of an eye.
They held their breath.
Fortunately, the anticipated tragedy didn't occur.
But they weren't relieved. Instead, despair washed over them.
"The World Crossing Profound Coffin is truly gone."
"And the Barbarian and Absence Immortals with it."
The situation was clearly beyond their control. Dao Yuan reported the incident through the Dao Net.
The response was unexpected.
"What? The Immortal Bait is gone? Impossible!"
"The Dao Net shows it's still here!"
"Where's Yan Xuantai?! Why isn't he reporting this?!"
A furious voice, echoing through the Dao Net, reached them from the distant center of the Shuo Star Sea.
By the time the last word was spoken, the speaker had arrived.
A short, elderly man, no taller than three feet, with silver hair that reached the ground, swirling around his feet like clouds, his face a mask of fury, his gaze sweeping over them.
The new Immortal Hunters instinctively lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.
"This is…"
Li Fan also sensed the old man's power. With each breath he took, the invisible Dao Net strings vibrated, the net itself seeming to strengthen and solidify in his presence.
He recalled seeing this man from afar in Ma Tiande's memories, during the ceremony where he received his Dao Net operator position.
"Nangong Fusheng, one of the Council Elders of the Shuo Star Sea Governing Council."
Nangong Fusheng teleported to the coffin's previous location. Seeing Nangong Hongzhao standing there, muttering incoherently, he roared, "Useless fool!" and sent him flying with a backhand slap.
As Nangong Hongzhao drifted uncontrollably through the Star Sea, Nangong Fusheng's rage subsided. He scanned his surroundings.
Waves of energy rippled outwards from him.
The observing Immortal Hunters felt as if the world had become a raging sea, its waves threatening to consume them. They could barely maintain their forms using the Dao Net.
The Dao Net rippled violently.
Finally, Nangong Fusheng pulled a black, seven-colored nail, radiating light, from the void.
Holding the nail, he laughed. "Yan Xuantai, clever! You actually managed to deceive the Dao Net!"
The new Immortal Hunters stared at the nail in his hand, their eyes wide.
In their understanding, the Dao Net was synonymous with the Great Dao, an invincible force to be harnessed, not deceived.
Yet, in their first mission, they had encountered an entity capable of fooling it, even pulling off a disappearing act right before their eyes.
"Who is this Yan Xuantai?"
Questions arose in their minds.
A fake coffin had actually transported two True Immortals, their intended prey, suggesting an inside job within the Immortal Hunter organization.
This was no small matter.
Soon, three more cultivators arrived, joining Nangong Fusheng.
Though concealed and their auras restrained, their presence still caused tremors within the Dao Net, making the new Immortal Hunters tremble. They answered all questions truthfully, not daring to conceal anything.
"Return for now."
"This matter isn't as simple as it appears."
Nangong Fusheng addressed the three figures, not bothering to hide his words from the others.
His silver hair lengthened, enveloping the Immortal Hunters.
As they were about to depart, Li Fan faintly heard Nangong Hongzhao's anxious cry from outside the silvery strands. "Third Granduncle, wait for me!"
The silver hair pulsed, then dispersed.
In an instant, they were back at the center of the Shuo Star Sea.
They were taken to separate dark chambers for further questioning.
Since they were genuinely unaware of the situation, the organization didn't press them too hard. After a few routine questions, the interrogation ended.
However, they weren't released, remaining confined within these dark, prison-like cells.
Though their movement within the area wasn't restricted, they couldn't leave.
The endless darkness gradually eroded their spirits.
Initially, the new Immortal Hunters held onto hope, believing their confinement would be short-lived.
But as days turned into weeks, the organization seemed to have forgotten them.
Their attitudes began to change.
"I understand now. The Immortal Hunt, the coffin's disappearance, it's all part of the trial! I must remain strong, I can't give up!"
"I had such a bright future… now my life is ruined."
"Someone has to be held responsible for the coffin's disappearance. Are they going to use us as scapegoats?"
…
Most were consumed by anxiety. Only the truly resilient remained calm.
Li Fan sensed the unwavering sword intent emanating from the adjacent cell and nodded slightly.
"Jin Changyue has been nurturing her sword intent since being imprisoned. Wrongfully accused and filled with resentment, this is the perfect opportunity to temper her sword with intent."
"However, to truly perfect it, she'll need to make a sacrifice."
Besides Jin Changyue, Dao Yuan also remained composed. After an initial fluctuation in his aura, he became still, like a hidden dragon waiting for its moment.
Li Fan, naturally, wasn't anxious. But he still feigned despair and impatience, concealing his true thoughts.
He replayed the Barbarian and Absence Immortals' escape, the melody they chanted slowly fading from his memory, even the Dao Transformation Stone's recording proving unreliable.
He repeatedly replayed it, trying to preserve it, but the inevitable decay was unstoppable.
He even tried using his miniature Dao Net to capture the fluctuations, but the melody's resonance with the Great Dao occurred within the coffin. Observing from afar through the Dao Net wasn't enough to accurately record it.
"That coffin, though fake, was real."
"Identical to the true coffin, except for the World Crossing function…"
Li Fan recalled Nangong Hongzhao's words, a thought striking him.
Though initially left behind, Nangong Hongzhao had also been imprisoned a few days later.
However, he showed no anxiety, only dejection, as if he had simply failed a task.
He spent his days lying on the floor, seemingly asleep.
Li Fan approached him quietly.
"Brother Nangong, there's something I've been meaning to ask."
"It's been bothering me."
Perhaps "Ma Tiande's" previous actions had left a positive impression. Nangong Hongzhao opened his eyes, glancing at him indifferently.
Then, without a word, he closed them again.
Li Fan knew that not explicitly refusing meant consent.
He transmitted his question. "How did that fake coffin suddenly become real? Do you know anything?"
Nangong Hongzhao replied irritably, "Didn't you see me being discarded like trash? What could I possibly know?"
Li Fan quickly placated him. "Don't say that, Brother Nangong. That was Council Elder Nangong. Many would be honored to be dismissed by him."
Nangong Hongzhao opened his eyes again, studying him thoughtfully. "I almost forgot, you were a Dao Net operator, connected to the Governing Council. No wonder you recognize my Third Granduncle's power."
Li Fan nodded eagerly. "Indeed, indeed."
Seeing his softening attitude, he quickly got to the point. "I've been thinking about the coffin incident. There are a few possibilities."
"One, the replica was almost identical to the real World Crossing Profound Coffin, lacking only a specific activation method, which the Barbarian and Absence Immortals possessed, allowing them to escape."
"But there's a flaw in this theory. Being merely bait, a convincing replica would suffice. Why make it so real? So, I suspect Yan Xuantai tampered with it, replacing it with a more functional version, hiding within, and then explaining the situation to the Barbarian and Absence Immortals after they entered, escaping with them."
"But…" Li Fan paused.
"This Yan Xuantai, whoever he is, was merely assigned to observe and protect us during our first hunt. His position couldn't be that high. How could he possess such a treasure?"
"And that seven-colored nail that fooled the Dao Net… it's beyond my comprehension!" he sighed.
"Facing eternal imprisonment, can you enlighten me, Brother Nangong? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," he said earnestly.
After a long silence, Nangong Hongzhao replied softly, "Your reasoning is sound. Some of your deductions align with my own. However, I know something you don't."
"It's not a secret. Yan Xuantai was a member of the [Sacred Merchant] who joined the Immortal Hunters. A hundred years ago, the entire Sacred Merchant faction vanished from the Shuo Star Sea, leaving only a few remnants and abandoned pawns."
"We assumed he had severed ties with them. But we were wrong…" Nangong Hongzhao snorted.
"The Sacred Merchant were actually one of the founding members of the Immortal Hunters. They provided many of our Immortal Hunting techniques. Uninterested in power struggles, focused solely on the hunt, they held a unique position within the organization. After their sudden disappearance, Yan Xuantai, an abandoned pawn, wasn't mistreated. He was even assigned an important position…"
The words "Sacred Merchant" piqued Li Fan's interest.
"If what you say is true, the Sacred Merchant disappeared a hundred years ago. Our Dao Net technology has advanced significantly since then. Even if Yan Xuantai was a member, how could he deceive the Dao Net? Is the Sacred Merchant's technology that far ahead? Or…" Li Fan lowered his voice. "Did he recently reestablish contact with them and obtain this escape method?"
"But that doesn't make sense either. Unless the coffin didn't travel to another world, but to another Star Sea where the Sacred Merchant resides."
Nangong Hongzhao shook his head slightly. "That's beyond my knowledge. It's a mystery. Yan Xuantai is reclusive, operating alone. Investigating him is difficult."
"But don't worry. We won't be imprisoned forever. They'll release us once they have some answers," he added reassuringly.
(End of chapter)