Li Fan was surprised and asked, “How could this happen? Wasn’t it just a Golden Core cultivator’s cave? How did even a Nascent Soul master fall?”
Yuwen Xing shook his head and said, “The exact situation is unclear right now. They have temporarily sealed the entrance to that cave to prevent any unsuspecting individuals from entering and meeting their demise.”
He continued, “In the entire Ten Thousand Immortals Island, there are only about ten Nascent Soul cultivators. So the sudden loss of one is indeed significant.”
“Let alone the four Golden Core and thirteen Foundation Establishment cultivators who perished in two consecutive exploration attempts.”
“Now, the island is not in a very peaceful state. With so many cultivators lost, their positions on the island are now vacant. Various factions have started maneuvering behind the scenes to vie for these opportunities.”
“Even the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has reopened its investigation into Zheng Xiaoyun. This time, it’s being conducted by the Hall of Heavenly Secrets’s Elder Gongsun. We don’t know if they will find anything substantial.”
“It’s a tumultuous time.”
After listening to Yuwen Xing’s concerns, Li Fan realized that there was an additional reason behind his worries. It turned out that Yuwen Xing had relied on the now-deceased True Lord Gouxuan as his backer.
Thanks to this connection, he managed to defeat numerous competitors and became the guardian of Liuli Island. However, with his protector falling, Yuwen Xing seemed anxious about his own position.
Li Fan thought to himself, “If even a Nascent Soul cultivator has fallen, it seems that the cultivation cave is extremely dangerous. It might be a while before I can retrieve the remains of fellow Daoist He.”
However, a few days later, there appeared to be a turning point in the situation. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance’s investigation results were released, which concluded that a cultivator named Zheng Xiaoyun, who was in the Golden Core stage, was not responsible for the deaths of the explorers.
The reason for the second exploration team’s complete annihilation was attributed to the peculiar nature of the mechanisms and puppets within the cave of Tian Yang:
These mechanisms and puppets had the unique characteristic of becoming stronger when faced with stronger opponents. During the first exploration led by Zheng Xiaoyun, these puppets only exhibited the combat strength of Golden Core cultivators, which allowed Zheng Xiaoyun to survive.
However, when True Lord Gouxuan led the second expedition, these puppets suddenly exhibited the power of Nascent Soul cultivators, catching the team off guard and leading to their deaths.
The mechanisms and puppets in the cave were designed to absorb the energy of the underground volcanoes. Over the thousands of years, they had become significantly more potent. The upper limit of their strength was unclear.
Now, it was clear that True Lord Gouxuan’s death was not unjust. No one could have expected that within the small cave of a mere Golden Core cultivator, such terrifying combat power was hidden.
The official announcement from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance lifted the heavy atmosphere over Ten Thousand Immortals Island. Most people found the investigation results credible, especially since Elder Gongsun from the Hall of Heavenly Secrets, known for his exceptional ability to predict events and determine causality, was responsible for the inquiry.
Countless Qi Condensation cultivators in the Cong Yun Sea were reinvigorated by the revelation that there were only a dozen puppets at the Qi Condensation stage which didn’t pose much of a threat.
If it were possible to bring back even one of those puppets…
Countless Qi Condensation cultivators were immediately filled with all sorts of ideas, their hearts throbbing with excitement.
They began clamoring to form teams to explore the cave of Tian Yang for the third time.
When Li Fan heard this news, he couldn’t help but feel tempted himself.
After all, during the Qi Condensation stage, he was practically invincible. Those with lower realms could be easily handled with his Insect Binding Technique. As for those at the same Qi Condensation stage, he had a multitude of techniques, such as the Formless Killing Intent, Cloud Water Illusory Dream Art, Azure Flame Illusionary Spirit, and more.
Li Fan couldn’t believe that there would be anyone within the Cong Yun Sea stronger than him. Should he explore this cave?
Li Fan contemplated this for a moment but then thought it over and decided that something wasn’t right.
If these puppets really became stronger when facing stronger opponents, then the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance could secretly gather a group of Qi Condensation cultivators to infiltrate the cave, defeating the puppets, and bringing them all back.
The idea of acquiring over a dozen puppets, each at least equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage, would be too enticing for the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance to pass up. Why would they foolishly disclose this information to the public?
The only explanation was that there must be other peculiar aspects to these puppets within the cave that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance couldn’t predict.
Li Fan had also heard of Elder Gongsun, the Hall of Heavenly Secrets’s elder. He had investigated the situation when Li Fan had completed the bounty regarding the dragonwhale.
Elder Gongsun had only determined the immediate cause of death: the whale had been surrounded by several deep-sea behemoths and had exhausted its life.
However, he hadn’t uncovered the root cause: Li Fan’s activation of the Formless Killing Intent.
Therefore, Li Fan believed that Elder Gongsun could indeed predict events and determine causality, but his abilities were like a blind person touching an elephant, only grasping part of the truth.
This understanding wasn’t exclusive to Li Fan; many others shared this viewpoint.
At first, when they were excited and hot-headed, they quickly organized into a group. In total, there were over thirty of them, and they were determined to explore the cave of Tian Yang once again.
Li Fan, on the other hand, simply reposted the bounty for fellow Daoist He’s remains and patiently waited to see how it would all unfold.
Ten days later, the exploration team returned in disarray. Most of the thirty-plus people escaped from the cave.
As they tearfully recounted their experiences, the onlookers learned what had happened inside the cave.
The seventeen puppets inside were incredibly powerful! They were constructed from some unknown material, making them incredibly durable. No spell seemed to affect them, leaving no marks or damage whatsoever.
Not even a scratch could be left.