Something Big Is Happening

"Confessed?" Li Fan looked at Liu Chengzong with some suspicion. "Master Liu, don't just tell half the story. Didn't you just say you had investigated and found out that the families knew nothing? Why are you suddenly confessing?"

Liu Chengzong, looking completely in control, reached for a cup and said smugly, "Elder Li, don't be impatient. I will naturally reveal the evidence today. However, you will need to give me a clear answer first regarding how much I will reveal."

If you're like Senior Brother Zhou, someone who doesn't compete with the world and has no intention of getting involved, then knowing too much about certain things isn't good for you, is it?

Seeing him drinking while pointing to the gourd on the table, Li Fan understood what he meant.

This guy surnamed Liu is quite shrewd; he wants Li Fan to express his support for Xu Chengyang first, otherwise he probably won't be able to get any real 'evidence'.

So the ball was back in Li Fan's court, and Liu Chengzong wanted to see what his choice would be.

What choice did he have? Did he even have a choice? Not to mention he was already involved, there was also an old ghost watching him expectantly!

So Li Fan shrugged, picked up the jade gourd on the table, and said, "I, Red-Haired Ghost, am an honest man, and I'm terrified of being a rogue cultivator. I live hand to mouth, so of course I'll gladly accept these elixirs delivered to my door."

But let me make one thing clear first: I'm a very loyal person. Senior Brother Zhou thinks highly of me and gave me a chance to work for Penglai, so I remember his kindness. If anyone asks me to do something that harms Shenzhen Palace, I will not agree.

"But Master Liu, please rest assured, there is indeed solid evidence proving that Xia Chengming of the Zhenzhen Palace is actually a spy for the Demonic Sect. Since it has come to the point of betrayal among fellow disciples, I will risk my life to take action and prevent anyone else from harming Real Person Xu."

"Hahaha! Good! That's enough."

Seeing that the recruitment task was completed, Liu Chengzong toasted Li Fan and said, "To tell you the truth, a few days ago, Disciple Xu found out the whereabouts of the traitor who ruined our sect's important affairs in the Central Plains. So my two senior brothers and I raided the traitor's lair. Sure enough, in addition to those women, we also captured a member of the Demonic Sect. After interrogation, we have obtained solid evidence!"

Just one? Then it really must be Amao.

Li Fan narrowed his eyes and sneered, "So that's how it is. You were tortured until he confessed? Do you have a signed statement to show me?"

Liu Chengzong waved his hand, "Elder Li, you don't understand this. Interrogating the cultists isn't like a court case, where you use torture to extract confessions. What kind of evidence is that? How can it convince the public? Besides, those cultists are ruthless enough to skin themselves alive. Torture won't work on them."

The Manifestation Dao Lord nodded as well.

Then the two of them looked at the red-haired rogue cultivator with a slightly sympathetic gaze. He seemed particularly sensitive to torture, perhaps because he had been in prison for too long and had developed a phobia of it.

Li Fan was taken aback. "Huh? Uh, oh, so how do you interrogate them?"

Liu Chengzong laughed, "Elder Li, you don't know, but our sect has an illusionary magic treasure called the Sumera Treasure Mirror. It was created by a fellow Daoist at the first level of the Divine Transformation stage. She can collect people's souls and weave a dreamlike illusion. Once inside the illusion, it's as if you're cultivating in the Immortal Realm. Time flies by, and you lose track of the years. No matter how strong your will or how high your cultivation, if you stay in the illusion for too long, your defenses will crumble, and you'll reveal your weaknesses. That's when you can tell who they are."

Even the Manifestation Dao Lord was taken aback, seemingly surprised to hear that this treasure had been used, but he still nodded in approval.

Li Fan was dumbfounded. "This... he confessed to being a member of the Demonic Sect... and that he colluded with Xia Chengming?"

Liu Chengzong shook his head as he drank his wine, "No, that's not true. This scoundrel is indeed a spy for the Demonic Sect. He has repeatedly ruined our sect's important affairs in the Central Plains. His character is extraordinary. He clearly has the Foundation Establishment Perfection, so he should have obtained some secret teachings from the Divine Sect. Yet he can still pretend to be a fool, answering irrelevant questions. He's still lying to this day and hasn't revealed Xia Chengming yet."

However, now that he's trapped within the Sumera Treasure Mirror, he can no longer conceal the secrets of heaven using the Demonic Sect's Primordial Spirit Technique. We've already figured out his background! We know that the person behind him is the very culprit who harmed our fellow disciples from the Lingzhen Palace in the Xun Kingdom!"

Damn! They actually predicted that!

Cold sweat beaded on Li Fan's forehead. "It's really true!"

Liu Chengzong was also filled with righteous indignation, "That's right! The demonic cult experts behind this villain not only ruined our sect's important affairs and murdered our fellow disciples in Xun Kingdom, but also supported the rebel Hou Gu in Zhen Country and colluded with the Yellow Heaven Demonic Cult in Gen Country, causing harm to the common people and slaughtering civilians. One thing after another, they are shaking the very foundation of our Nine Truth Sect! He thought he had hidden these things very well, but little did he know that Disciple Xu had already figured them out!"

As expected, it was calculated... Ah? No, some of it wasn't my doing, was it?

Not only was Li Fan bewildered, but it seemed that the Manifestation Dao Lord was also puzzled, stroking his beard in thought, neither shaking his head nor nodding.

Of course, Li Fan couldn't say, "Damn it, I only killed one Nascent Soul Stage, how come it's all my fault!" He could only scratch his head and ask, "So many things, all done by Xia Chengming? This spans three kingdoms, so far away, he couldn't possibly be in two places at once, could he?"

Liu Chengzong chuckled coldly, "Of course it wasn't him who took action personally, but all the arrangements my Nine Truth Sect made in various places were ruined in an instant, resulting in such heavy losses. Are you telling me it was just a pure coincidence?"

These Inner Sect secrets are known only to true disciples. Who do you think leaked them to the Demonic Sect?

To be honest, I brought these women with me to Penglai as bait, just to see his reaction. Humph! They really lured him into making a move!

Heh, actually, I was instructed by Disciple Xu that day to talk to Cheng Chengzhi first, advising him to leave the mountain soon and not to take the blame for others. Sure enough, Disciple Xu was right. Now it's obvious. With manpower so scarce, there's no one else who could have harmed so many fellow disciples so quietly! It was Xia Mingcheng who made the move that night. He might even have been injured, otherwise why would he have been avoiding me these past few days, afraid to meet me! The sect leader even defended him, saying he was refining pills! Bah! Does he think I don't know how to refine pills?!

Now things are clear, aren't they? That night, he must have come to save people, harming his fellow disciples and giving himself away! This traitor colluded with the Demonic Sect and leaked the sect's secrets! What more explanation is there? With so many suspicious points, as long as we capture Xia Chengming, with so many Algorithm Masters around, everyone can investigate and find out the truth!"

Li Fan was still somewhat hesitant. Liu Chengzong took another sip to moisten his throat and continued, "Of course, even if we were to reveal all this now, other families might be satisfied, but Manifestation Dao Lord's protective nature, he would definitely continue to shamelessly cover for them. So, we disciples have already begun our actions."

Li Fan and the Manifestation Dao Lord stared at Liu Chengzong, "Action?"

Liu Chengzong nodded, "That's right, I can tell you that the demon brat is a key witness. In order to avoid being silenced, he has been sent to Lingzhen Xianfa Daojun for personal questioning."

Meanwhile, the disciples of my Fanghu and Yingzhou lineages have already taken action, heading to Zhen to gather evidence. Once we have gathered all the solid evidence, we will invite the elders of the Three Mountains and Nine Palaces of Penglai to review it. Then we'll see what those who are so protective of their own have to say!"

"... Are you trying to overthrow the sect leader? Have you even considered what will happen to his reputation?"

Seeing that the Manifestation Dao Lord's face remained expressionless, Li Fan swallowed and asked on his behalf.

"Hmph! He was the one who acted unfairly first! His own actions are shameless enough! When Ling Chendao of the Zhenzhen Palace left, he should have been replaced by the Empress, but he forcibly promoted Xia Chengming to take his place. Over the years, he has shown favoritism in more than one place. He really has no magnanimity as the leader of the Nine Truth Sect. Who would be convinced?"

Haha! This time, the eagle that hunts for a thousand days finally gets pecked by the eagle. He carefully selected someone, yet he chose a traitor who colluded with the evil cult! Karma! Haha! Truly karma! Hahaha!"

Li Fan glanced sideways at Liu Chengzong, who was clearly in a bad mood and laughing loudly. He looked at the wine glass in Liu's hand and realized that there wasn't a single drop of wine in it the whole time...

Manifestation Dao Lord nodded.

Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat. "Master Liu, you're probably drunk..."

Liu Chengzong shook his head. "Hmm... I am a little confused. Okay, that's about all for today."

He waved his hand, put away the bronze bell, and finally finished speaking and saw his guest off.

Upon seeing Li Fan's back covered in sweat, Liu Chengzong chuckled, "Hehe, you've only had a few drinks, and you're already drenched in sweat. Elder Li, you haven't seen enough of the world."

The Manifestation Dao Lord also nodded.

Li Fan Fanqiang laughed, "Yes, yes, I'm just a rogue cultivator, I've never tasted immortal wine before. It's really intoxicating, ha, ha, hahaha."

As Liu Chengzong saw him out, he said, "Hehe, it's alright. You'll get used to the alcohol after a few more drinks. We didn't have enough fun today. We'll invite the elder over again in a few days."

You fucking think you have many days left? This might be your last meal, you know?

Li Fan smiled wryly, "Master Liu is too kind."

Liu Chengzong, however, wore a half-smile, his gaze fixed intently on Li Fan. "Hehe, Elder, please don't refuse. We've already agreed, you absolutely must come. Don't worry, next time it'll be immortal wine from Yingzhou, which I've specially prepared. You absolutely mustn't be absent."

Seeing that even the Manifestation Dao Lord was sneering, Li Fan could only shrug. "Alright, Li Tang will definitely be there."

Okay, I'll definitely come and eat at your feast.

Liu Chengzong nodded in satisfaction, "Then it's a deal. Elder, you shouldn't go out to patrol the sea these next few days. Who knows, something big might happen at any time."

Li Fan glanced at him sideways and said, "Is there something important? Brother Liu, why don't you just say it all at once? You might not get another chance like this..."

"Hehe, it can't be said, it can't be said. The next time I invite you, we'll see. It will be a momentous event..."

Before he finished speaking, a bright orange-red light suddenly flashed in the sky, covering the palaces, pavilions, and towers of the Taizhen Palace. Then, a Thunder Roar spread from the clouds, echoing far and wide between the sea and the sky.

Li Fan, Liu Chengzong, Manifestation Dao Lord all looked up at the same time. Suddenly, the shadow of a celestial island shrouded in seven-colored smoke appeared in the night sky. A huge orange-red fireball erupted from the island, almost setting the entire island ablaze. The entire night sky was covered by a rain of meteors and fire after the violent explosion, and burning fragments blasted down on the islands.

Then a gigantic metal dome, as large as a rooftop, descended from the sky, whistling past everyone's eyes. It clattered and rolled along the streets, crashing into the nearby Daoist palace, collapsing countless exquisite dwellings. The celestial maidens screamed in terror and fled in panic. Li Fan glanced at the dome and recognized Baxia on it.

Oh, where did that alchemy furnace explode... damn it...

Li Fan looked at him in shock, "Senior Brother Liu, haven't you gone a bit too far with this important matter...?"

Liu Chengzong was completely dumbfounded. "No, it wasn't me! How could this be... Could it be! A thief!"

He stood there for a moment, then suddenly let out a furious roar, spitting out a beam of Sword Light. His entire figure then stretched out and merged with the Sword Light, rushing straight towards the burning alchemy factory.

"..." Li Fan also chased after the sword rainbow, then paused, turning to look at the Manifestation Dao Lord. He said awkwardly, "What, aren't you going to hurry up? Such a big thing happened at the Pill Pavilion and you're not even worried... Oh, oh! I understand, shh..."

The Manifestation Dao Lord smiled at Li Fan and nodded.

That old bastard is insane! He even blew up his own factory!

Then the Manifestation Dao Lord pointed to the sword rainbow that Liu Chengzong had drawn in the sky.

Li Fan hesitated for only a second before gritting his teeth, stomping his foot, and soaring into the sky, chasing after Liu Chengzong's sword rainbow.

He couldn't even manage a smile anymore. This Manifestation Dao Lord was watching him closely, and he couldn't shake him off. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and go on.

Damn, that old geezer is really annoying! No wonder so many people dislike him! Seriously, does your Xuanmen sect have any normal sect leaders?! Any?!

Li Fan flew through the air, covering his mouth and nose as he rushed into the crimson clouds.

Not only were there poisonous clouds and mists Fourth Department, but several Daoist palace workshops were also burning fiercely, filled with smoke and chaos, making it impossible to understand the situation.

This was clearly not a simple furnace explosion, because the factory had been blown up far too badly. The center was a high-temperature inferno, with rampant Dao fire and continuous explosions. Many high-grade magic treasures, which possessed sentience, had already transformed into brilliant light and rushed out of the magic array to escape. The rare Heavenly Treasure that were blown away were also scattered across the island in a colorful, starlight-like display.

Although there were many divine lords guarding the factory and cultivating on the island, they couldn't care less about the fire at the moment. They all flew out of their caves to chase after the scattered sect treasures. Nine-colored light danced in the sky, shining like the aurora borealis.

Faintly, Li Fan heard Zhou Chengxue's voice. Looking from afar, he saw him shouting and ordering the panicked children around him to put out the fire and rescue people. Many Nascent Soul Stage cultivators who arrived later also landed beside him, following his instructions to deal with the fire and prevent the overflowing Dao fire from igniting and exploding other parts of the factory.

Li Fan was about to go over and help, but the Manifestation Dao Lord shook his head at him and continued to point towards the direction where the firelight was intense within the Dan Yun.

Li Fan had no choice but to follow the Daoist's directions, turn around and fly into the smoke and clouds, entering the fire.

Although the area was shrouded in smoke and flames, with explosions and fires heard everywhere, if he remembered correctly, this location was indeed the direction of the factory's core refining area. When he came during the day, there were layers upon layers of barriers, but now most of the barriers had been destroyed by the internal explosions, and the rest had been burned by the out-of-control alchemical fire.

But with the guidance of the Manifestation Dao Lord, Li Fan managed to squeeze a path through the flames and rushed to what was roughly the core of the explosion.

A humanoid figure, seemingly charred black by the Daoist fire, lay beside the wreckage of the alchemy furnace, still clinging to life. However, it appeared severely injured; its face was unrecognizable, and both hands were severed... Hmm? These injuries...

"Xia Chengming! You scoundrel, how dare you!"

A sword rainbow emerged from the sea of fire, drawing out a fiery sword that slashed towards the humanoid's head, only to be deflected by a lotus flower that suddenly bloomed from the opponent's heart! It twirled in mid-air and fell, revealing Liu Chengzong's figure.

"Trying to pull these tricks? Do you think everyone in Penglai is a fool?! Your limbs were clearly injured by sword wounds! Are you trying to fake that the alchemy furnace exploded?! How dare you ruin the foundation of Penglai like this! Devil Seed to die!"

Illuminated by the sea of fire, Liu Chengzong's eyes were bloodshot as he roared and unleashed a barrage of hand seals, pouring a torrential rain of blue swords at the humanoid figure, extinguishing its protective lotus at a visible speed.

At that moment, Li Fan heard a voice speaking in his ear.

"Take this brick and hit him on the head."

Then Li Fan suddenly felt a weight in his arms, and when he reached out and touched it, he found it was a heavy Golden Brick.

Li Fan looked at the Dao Lord beside him.

Daojun also stared into Li Fan's eyes.

"If you want to join my sect, you must spill the blood of your fellow disciples! Beat him! Take this brick and hit him on the head!"

Damn, the old man's serious...

Li Fan can now judge the threat level of the person in front of him by the number of hairs standing on his spine.

In short, if we don't show our loyalty this time, it's really game over! Damn it! We'll fight to the death!

Seeing that the protective lotus aura was about to weaken, Li Fan gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, took out the Golden Brick from his pocket, and threw it with all his might!

The brick struck with the force of a blow through the air, yet it was completely silent, catching everyone off guard. It struck Liu Chengzong so hard that he was bleeding from the head, fell to the ground with a thud, and collapsed, his life hanging in the balance.