Dao Yuan, as if trapped in a terrifying nightmare, was pale and drenched in cold sweat. Fortunately, Qian Ruochang didn't prolong his exposure to the True Immortal's might. After a few breaths, he quickly withdrew the threads. Even so, Dao Yuan remained terrified and shaken, taking a while to recover.
"Is it really that exaggerated?" Many inwardly scoffed.
However, after Qian Ruochang connected the threads to each of them, no one dared to doubt again. Dao Yuan, barely managing to endure, was among the best performers. Some collapsed on the spot, trembling uncontrollably. Mental breakdowns, with cries and wails, were not uncommon.
Qian Ruochang remained unfazed by the prodigies' distress. He had deliberately chosen a "dangerous element" among the imprisoned True Immortals to thoroughly intimidate these newcomers.
Unlike the genuine reactions of others, Li Fan's was, of course, feigned. He had witnessed beings capable of traversing possibilities, far surpassing True Immortals, so he wouldn't be frightened into such a state.
However, the slumbering True Immortal that Qian Ruochang had the new recruits face was indeed peculiar. He seemed capable of detecting the colorful threads attached to him and using them to peer into the outside world. Thus, when the new Immortal Hunters connected to the threads, they were met with the True Immortal's gaze.
A pair of cold eyes looked down, seemingly piercing through their very souls, leaving no secrets hidden. Their lives felt entirely at the mercy of the eyes' owner.
"No wonder they reacted like that. It wasn't simply facing a True Immortal, but being constantly scrutinized by a high-ranking being…"
"But aren't they worried that the imprisoned Immortal might glean an escape method from the minds of those outside?"
Li Fan glanced at Qian Ruochang, who seemed to be enjoying the spectacle, without any such concern. Li Fan then turned his attention to the square cage, the so-called "place where the Dao is severed."
Although the imprisoned True Immortal seemed to be in the same space as them, it was clear that only an image representing the cage was projected before them.
"The only places in the mortal world that can truly be called 'Dao severed' are the Obliterated Lands, cleansed by the Dao Obliteration Calamity. Could the Shuo Star Sea Immortal Hunters actually use the Obliterated Lands as prisons? But how do these threads traverse the Obliterated Lands?"
The Deep Net core held countless unknown secrets. What Qian Ruochang showed them was merely a single shining thread and the surrounding square cages. Li Fan couldn't glean any further information.
Time passed unnoticed in the dim Deep Net. The group was forced to face one imprisoned True Immortal after another in various ways. Despite the vast disparity in power, after such frequent exposure, they gradually became numb, feeling fear only towards the Immortals with the most dangerous auras. They could now face ordinary True Immortals with relative composure.
Qian Ruochang seemed satisfied with their progress. Finally, he ended the game of connecting and disconnecting threads.
"Good. It seems you have finally adapted to the presence of Immortals."
"Next is the final trial here."
"Once you pass this, we can begin weaving the net to capture our prey." Qian Ruochang's face once again wore that meaningful smile.
Everyone's hearts skipped a beat. Qian Ruochang's next words left them incredulous.
"The final trial is to personally dissect the corpse of a True Immortal!"
His words struck them like thunder. The threads connected to the numerous squares faded into the darkness. Moments later, light returned, accompanied by a towering figure.
The figure's immense aura made everyone hold their breath,不敢 to move a muscle. Looking around, they realized that Qian Ruochang had vanished! They then remembered Qian Ruochang's words.
Dissect the corpse of a True Immortal…
An eerie silence fell upon the group. Even though they understood the objective, no one dared, or could, easily make a move!
The figure before them, though called a corpse, was virtually indistinguishable from the imprisoned True Immortals they had faced earlier. They couldn't see the Immortal's face clearly, but everyone felt his gaze upon them, as heavy as a mountain.
Adapting to the presence of a True Immortal was one thing. Acting calmly under a True Immortal's gaze, let alone raising a blade against them… was an entirely different matter.
The True Immortal's corpse stood there. Who would dare to dissect it?
Li Fan dared, but he didn't intend to be the first.
After a long silence, someone finally growled, "No matter how powerful they were in life, they are nothing but a corpse after death. Why should we fear them?!"
With that, under everyone's gaze, he charged straight towards the Immortal corpse.
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, silently offering condolences to this cultivator named Feng Zengyuan. A True Immortal's corpse was entirely different from a mortal one. Even a True Immortal's lingering will could instantly kill several Longevity Realm experts in the Xuanhuang World, let alone a complete True Immortal corpse.
As expected, before Feng Zengyuan could reach the Immortal, the towering shadow suddenly expanded, engulfing him completely before instantly returning to its original form. The True Immortal's corpse remained standing silently. Feng Zengyuan was nowhere to be seen.
Everyone felt their scalps tingle, instinctively retreating.
"He's dead, isn't he? How can he still attack?"
"Look, hasn't that figure become clearer? Doesn't it resemble Feng Zengyuan somewhat?"
"What's going on? We've retreated so far, but we're not getting any further from the corpse. We're getting closer!"
…
Panic spread through the group. Despite their "adaptation" and theoretical learning, now without Qian Ruochang's protection, truly facing a potentially hostile True Immortal corpse, they inevitably lost their composure.
However, some remained fearless.
"We can't waste any more time. Otherwise, who knows who will be dissected next?" Jiang Yuming said gravely.
"We are destined to slay True Immortals. Why fear a mere corpse?" Jin Changyue finally opened her eyes, or rather, her three pupils.
It was as if three distinct personalities resided within her: one enraged, one compassionate, and one empty. The three swords behind her unsheathed with a clang. Three blinding sword lights illuminated the dim space.
The previously indistinct True Immortal corpse was revealed in full. The pale face was identical to Qian Ruochang's, who had brought them here! Even the sinister smile was the same. The two smiles overlapped in everyone's minds.
"What's going on? Could something have happened to Boss Qian?"
The smile Qian Ruochang had worn before vanishing fueled their imaginations, throwing them into disarray.
"Trickery!" Jin Changyue roared, her anger intensifying. The three sword lights merged into one, striking the True Immortal's forehead. A drop of blood oozed out.
As the enraged Jin Changyue prepared to strike again, a flash of light engulfed her, and she vanished without a trace.
After a moment of astonishment, Dao Yuan, Jiang Yuming, and Nangong Hongzhao snapped out of their daze and unleashed their strongest divine abilities towards the Immortal corpse.
Li Fan did the same. However, as he conjured an illusory dagger using the Dao Net's power, he also shouted, "Don't panic, everyone! Jin Changyue must have passed the trial and been safely teleported out. We only need to leave a wound on the corpse!"
The illusory dagger, appearing before the True Immortal's face, sliced across it horizontally, cutting along the corner of the mouth, ruining the smile identical to Qian Ruochang's implied warning.
Everyone broke free from their mental shackles as if awakening from a dream, unleashing their attacks. Having completed the dissection, Li Fan was teleported out a step ahead, second only to Jin Changyue.
Soon after, Dao Yuan, Nangong Hongzhao, and others appeared.
"Brother Ma, how were you able to use the Dao Net's power just now?" Dao Yuan asked, puzzled.
"We couldn't sense the Dao Net's presence, so we had no choice but to use our own divine abilities to dissect the corpse," Jiang Yuming added, frowning as he stared at Li Fan.
Li Fan feigned surprise. "What are you talking about, brothers? We are at the core of the Dao Net. How could there be no Dao Net power around us?"
His counter-question left them speechless. They wanted to say more, but as more people completed the trial and appeared, they held back.
Li Fan had not only warned them but also dispelled the terrifying illusion of the True Immortal corpse, clearly aiding those who came after. Everyone expressed their gratitude.
The commotion only ceased when Qian Ruochang reappeared.
"You, you, you…"
"Not bad. As for the rest of you, barely passable." Qian Ruochang pointed at Jin Changyue, Li Fan, Dao Yuan, and the first five to emerge.
"I hope you can maintain this level of cooperation and mutual assistance when hunting a True Immortal." This was directed at Li Fan.
Li Fan bowed respectfully. "I'll keep that in mind."
Qian Ruochang snorted. Light and shadows shifted around them, as if they were rapidly rising from the depths of the sea. In an instant, they returned from the Deep Net to the Shuo Star Sea.
"I have chosen the bait."
"Now, I'll take you to set the trap."
Utilizing the Dao Net, they traveled swiftly, arriving at the edge of the Shuo Star Sea in the blink of an eye. Before them lay darkness, a place devoid of life. It was the direction from which Li Fan had come, the location of the Obliterated Lands!
They continued along the narrow, life-filled star region for half a day until they left the Dao Net's coverage and materialized in reality.
"Boss Qian, we're starting here?" Even the usually confident Jin Changyue was filled with doubt.
Qian Ruochang pointed ahead. "Not quite. Further ahead!"
"But without the Dao Net, how can we be a match for the 'Nothingness' Immortal?" They grew anxious.
"Who says there's no Dao Net? Don't we have the Dao Externalization with us?"
Qian Ruochang's reminder made them realize their oversight. Li Fan looked back and indeed saw a faint mini Dao Net. As if the reflected light had shifted, the shadow of the Dao Net was stretched immensely, reaching beyond the Dao Net's coverage, connected to the true Dao Net by a single Dao string.
"This Nothingness Immortal is cunning. Capturing him within the Dao Net is extremely difficult."
"But outside the Dao Net, on the True Immortals' own turf, his vigilance will be much lower."
"Let's go. We need to go deeper, to a place where he feels completely safe."
With that, Qian Ruochang led them deeper into the Obliterated Lands.
Areas with lingering life within the Obliterated Lands were scarce. The route was almost identical to the one leading to the wall of the Dark Star Sea, making Li Fan suspect that their destination was within the wall.
Fortunately, Qian Ruochang seemed unaware of the wall's existence. They passed the wall's location and continued deeper until they finally stopped at a small, circular life-filled star region. Three-quarters of its boundary had been consumed by the Dao Obliteration Calamity, connected to the outside world only by a narrow passage.
Qian Ruochang seemed familiar with this place. Within this star region, he found a cluster of floating ruins.
"Let me see, this should be the place." He picked up a few stones from the ground, examined them, and muttered.
"Set up the Dao Externalization first." He instructed, then continued to gather similar stones from the ruins.
Li Fan appeared to be diligently executing the Dao Net commands along with the others. However, his attention followed Qian Ruochang, wandering through the ruins. He wasn't using the consciousness of Ma Tiande's body, but the power of the Dreamland Paradise within this star region. This area was close to the Dark Star Sea, Li Fan's current base, and naturally covered by the Dreamland Paradise.
"It's just ordinary ruins. What's so special about it that it attracts He Gan Xian?" Li Fan wondered.
Qian Ruochang soon provided the answer. Upon returning, he scattered a pile of stones on the ground. The faint aura emanating from them felt familiar to Li Fan.
"Is this… an Immortal Ascension Platform?"
"Not the one from the Immortal Ruins above the Xuanhuang World."
"But one from another surviving star region."
Qian Ruochang clapped his hands together, and the stones instantly turned to dust. Then, bathed in light, the dust transformed into an octagonal platform.
(End of chapter)