Mid-Game Substitution

The new junior brother made quite a show of force, with clouds and lotus-shaped magical treasures protecting him. He might genuinely want to defend against Li Fan's plasma cannon, or he might be deliberately using himself as bait to attract fire and lure Li Fan out.

Actually, while the enemy hasn't found him yet, he could launch a preemptive strike and escape from the Killing Tribulation. However, repeating this process would inevitably expose Li Fan's ability to freely enter and exit the Killing Tribulation without being restricted.

Moreover, the main problem is that the plasma cannon's power may not be enough. Well, it's not that it's not enough, but the plasma can not only break through and shatter the Dao body of a Divine Transformation cultivator, it can also directly pierce through it!

This is essentially burning a hole in the body. If it doesn't hit a vital point, then judging from the current situation, the actual effect is indeed not significant. To put it bluntly, three shots have already hit the target, blowing his brain off, but they still haven't been able to kill the new head god. It's clear that even if a few more shots are fired, if they don't break the opponent's magic or hit Mingmen, the effect will probably be limited.

Moreover, even if Divine Transformation Body cannot defend against the bombardment of the plasma cannon and injures someone, as long as there is enough Everlasting Elixir, the shattered Dao Body can be quickly regenerated, so it's all for nothing. And once Li Fan fires the cannon and reveals his whereabouts, both Divine Lords are currently lying in wait for him. If he fails, he may not even have a chance for a second shot.

Of course, damage to the Dao body will definitely have an effect on cultivators. After all, even the Divine Cult that specializes in cultivating the Primordial Spirit must sacrifice the Dao body. Moreover, Li Fan had previously witnessed the Divine Transformation Demon perish after taking pills, showing that the body is the foundation of everything. Therefore, even if one doesn't know the vital points or weaknesses of these Divine Lords, as long as the firepower is sufficient and the damage overflows, they can be directly filled and blasted into dust. They won't even have the organs to digest the immortal pills anymore, and no matter how powerful they are, they will still die.

In retrospect, it seems that taking profits and retreating decisively would have been the wiser choice. However, Li Fan had just thought of a tactic and decided to try it out; if it didn't work, he could still escape. After all, the killing spree had been incredibly profitable, and with a good chance of winning, it would be too frustrating to leave without even trying.

So he secretly pressed himself against the barrier, ready to escape at any moment. He found a corner and transformed back into human form. He already had a protective suit on him and activated the invisibility talisman. This way, he wouldn't be discovered by the two gods immediately, which was equivalent to winning half the battle.

Then Li Fan took out a silver, metallic capsule, about the size of an egg. Astute readers have already guessed that this was the metallic nitrogen bomb he had just retrieved from the cult's box—the same thing that blew up Rouge Pool last time. The foil-like capsule shell was its anti-detection casing. The explosion just now was likely caused by a cultivator from True Palace carrying a similar explosive, which was detonated by the high temperature of the plasma cannon.

One of Li Fan's plans was to sacrifice his life by creating Tai Su Dao Body self-destruct bomb. He would swallow the capsule, rush forward to attack, deliberately let the old man and new man capture him, and then suddenly explode on him. Even Divine Transformation cultivator would be completely disoriented, right?

However, sacrificing a life like this is too reckless and very painful. Besides, to be honest, Li Fan wouldn't detonate it at a set time. Can you believe that the capsule shell has fingerprint recognition?

So he also has a modified plan.

Li Fan took out a jade bracelet; yes, it was a prototype of the system's flying sword.

During the last test, the flying sword could teleport into the tree trunk. Now that Li Fan has a preliminary understanding of the principle of 'crossing the gate', he estimates that this prototype system flying sword also uses a similar principle for teleportation.

But he remembered that the last time the flying sword returned, it was extremely hot to the touch. Wasn't that strange? Theoretically, if the teleportation was the same, why wasn't it 'hot' at all when the system teleported the prize to him?

Thinking about it carefully, there might be some technical differences between a prototype flying sword and a prize delivered by the system.

Li Fan wasn't sure if his understanding was correct, but he guessed that the system's reward was similar to particles being teleported and then reassembled, while the prototype flying sword might have actually been the entire object being teleported directly. Perhaps the accompanying high temperature was the unresolved problem?

Therefore, Li Fan's idea was to use a prototype flying sword to carry these capsules together and teleport them to the two Divine Lords, then use the high temperature of the flying sword after landing to detonate the bombs.

Of course, this is wishful thinking. If things go wrong, it might explode on the spot, wasting Li Fan's life. It's also possible that the explosion won't cause any harm to the Divine Lord, or that it might not even be able to be sent out at all.

But why not give it a try? Maybe it'll work? System, you're saying this?

'You're a fucking genius...'

Okay, since the system has verified it, then this tactic is fine...

Uh, Li Fan discovered there was a problem with the first step: the bracelet was a bit too big in diameter, and the capsule was a bit too small, so he had to stuff all three capsules from the box into it just to barely get it on... Damn, it fell off again...

While Li Fan was still stuffing eggs into his stomach, something else happened on the other side of the field.

It turned out that the junior brother, seeing that he was attacking with his Magic Treasure but could not break through, threw out four talisman flags from the auspicious cloud, completely surrounding the protective aura shield that trapped the remaining Nascent Soul Stage cultivator at the core. Then he activated the talismans, and the four flags grew larger in the wind, swaying in all directions. Earth fire, wind and thunder roared and exploded at the same time, and boundless Dao power rolled in, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing, and it was directly bombarding the person in the center.

It was clear that this was a powerful formation; the protective aura was immediately compressed and shrunk by more than half, leaving only a thin white halo above the four people's heads.

Hmph, you had a chance but didn't make a move, now you're being slowly worn down. If you don't fight back now, aren't you just waiting to die?

Li Fan ignored them and continued to squat and wait for an opportunity.

The timing isn't right yet. The junior brother is just standing there casting spells. When Li Fan hit him with a combo earlier, his reaction was a bit slow. He's clearly an academic who doesn't do PvP often, probably an older version of Zhou Chengxue, so his threat level is slightly lower. The troublesome one is the senior brother.

Even at this point, the old senior brother was still circling and moving with his Sword Light the entire time, never stopping, his shadow nowhere to be seen! This clearly showed he was an experienced swordsman, knowing how to maintain mobility at all times. Moreover, the opponent had only used sword techniques and qi attacks, his flying sword never leaving his side. This wasn't underestimating his opponent or being arrogant, but rather being as steady as a rock. He definitely had some trump cards up his sleeve; at least at the Transformation Stage, he could certainly transform them into sword rainbows. Therefore, we absolutely cannot give this person the chance to strike first.

If even the teleportation bombs don't work and fail to kill this old bastard, then we really shouldn't hesitate, we should turn around and run.

So Li Fan squatted down, waiting for an opportunity, while the two Divine Lords also squatted down. But the four cultivators inside the formation really couldn't sit still any longer. Seeing that their magic treasures were about to give way and be destroyed by the four banners, they all cried out for help and begged for mercy.

"Shi Zai Godly Monarch! Why did you attack us in such a sneak attack!"

"Lord Yinian! We are all from the same sect, why must we kill each other!"

"Is Penglai truly incapable of accepting us?!"

"Who gave the orders? At least let us die knowing why!"

It seems they've really run out of ideas and are resorting to verbal sparring...

"Enough with the nonsense! A bunch of bastards from the Demonic Sect! Do you really think that you can swagger into my sect without anyone noticing?"

The senior brother remained silent, his Sword Light gleaming, while from within the auspicious clouds, a thunderous roar faintly echoed from the new junior brother.

"Today, our Lingzhen Palace will cleanse the Supreme Nine Truth Sect of its own filth! None of you Demon Path and demons will leave here alive!"

Oh, so these two old men are from Penglai? Wait, Lingzhen Palace?

"Injustice! Grandmaster Uncle! We are utterly loyal to our sect! How can you even mention the Demonic Sect?"

"This is clearly a frame-up, an attempt to harm Senior Brother Xu! Please investigate thoroughly, Senior!"

"Hmph! It's too shameful to beg for mercy now that things have come to this! They attacked right from the start, clearly wanting to kill us all just because their own disciples are all dead! They might even try to frame us for their own dirty deeds! I think those two are the real demons!"

"Wait! Senior Lingzhen Palace is not that kind of person! Two grandmaster uncles! If you have evidence, why not present it for discussion? Let Chengyang be convinced and die without saying a word! But if it is truly the sect leader's selfish motive, arranging this kind of murder by proxy to get rid of me, then Chengyang will never accept it, even in death!"

Li Fan also curled his lips. He didn't expect that this newcomer and the old man were both from the Lingzhen Palace of Fanghu Mountain. Wasn't it said that the lineage was about to be cut off? They actually managed to produce two Divine Transformation monsters. As expected of the ten-thousand-year-old second place, their foundation is indeed profound.

No wonder they were so ruthless in killing those inside; the main losses were borne by their Lingzhen Palace lineage. Since all their own disciples were dead, they had nothing left to worry about...

Even at this point, the four on the other side still refuse to admit they're the mole. Actually, thinking about it, it makes sense. This isn't a TV drama; where in a climax does the mole suddenly reveal their identity and all the bad things they've done? A spy would rather die than confess...

The new junior brother from the Cloud Sect clearly understood this principle as well. He snorted coldly, "You don't need to say anything more. Although we don't like manifesting, it's mainly because he's a scoundrel. But this matter concerns the sect, so it's not fair to blame the sect leader. Xu Chengyang, considering that you've refined quite a few pills for the sect, I'll let you die knowing why."

Actually, we've always known you're smart, talented, resourceful, and cunning. We've also known for a long time that there are people in your little circle in Yingzhou who are secretly colluding with outsiders. But everyone's pretty much the same in these matters, and the Xuanmen sects have been peaceful for too long. It wouldn't look good for Yuntai Peak to cause trouble, so we've just turned a blind eye.

But now you dare to collude with the Demonic Sect, ruining our Fanghu Mountain's important affairs in Xun Kingdom! You've even harmed many of my Lingzhen Palace's direct disciples! This time, your subordinate Liu Chengzong even assassinated a Zhizhen Daoist and blew up the alchemy workshop! There are witnesses and physical evidence! You're simply taking advantage of the fact that our Nine Truth Sect has no one to rely on! We cannot tolerate you, neither for public nor private reasons!"

Xu Chengyang was clearly unable to defend himself, since of the top three Daoists, he was the only one left who had been eliminated, making him the biggest beneficiary.

"Uncle-Master Yinian! Cheng Yang swears to the heavens! The disciples of the Lingzhen lineage who perished in Xunzhou have absolutely no connection with Yingzhou! We were definitely not the ones who leaked the information!"

"I foresaw those remnants of the Demonic Sect! Didn't I already send them to Xianfa Daojun for questioning? My trip to Penglai is also to publicly explain the cause and effect of Chengzong's matter..."

However, Yinian was still furious after being hit three times, and unable to contain his anger, he immediately launched into a tirade, "Shut up! How dare you mention any remnants of the Demonic Sect! Do you really think we're blind?! You're still lying to us! That brat is just a mortal!"

No need for further explanation! Although we can't pinpoint exactly which one of you it is, it's definitely within your small circle! The legacy of my Supreme Nine Truth Sect, passed down through twenty-one generations, absolutely cannot be destroyed by a few of you! Let's just kill them all; it'll be a clean break!"

Li Fan was also astonished.

Holy crap, the logic of Penglai is truly absurd... I have to admit, it actually worked quite well by sheer luck...

Xu Chengyang was speechless, but some people still had something to say.

"Yinian! What about me? I am Sun Chengchi of Tianzhen Palace! I am also from Fanghu! You even taught me formations, have you forgotten!"

Yinian Nian must have remembered him, for she actually appeared from the clouds, holding four command flags, and pointed at his nose, cursing, "You know you're from Fanghu! How has my Lingzhen Palace ever wronged your lineage! You shamelessly fawn over Yingzhou! Now you remember you're from Fanghu! Bah! You traitor! Die!"

But the instant he showed his face! Four sword rainbows shot into the sky! The Sword Light flashed, heading straight for the head of the Yinian Divine Lord!

"Hmph! I knew it! You juniors have long been fed up with this old man, and you all want to turn the world upside down!!" Lord Yinian roared, waving his flag. Instantly, the clouds surged, radiating brilliant light, blocking the four sword rainbows from getting close. "Come on! And that coward hiding here, come at me too! Since you've come in, you can't escape your fate! Today, let's settle our scores!!"

Well, it seems that Li Fan was indeed involved in this massacre, since he did kill a True Person from the Lingzhen Palace.

Moreover, after observing for a while, Li Fan discovered that the strength of these four people had significantly increased compared to before. No, strictly speaking, they were already very strong, but they were injured by the explosion at the beginning and almost lost their lives. However, Li Fan's interference gave them a break, and they were clearly not lacking in Nine-Turn Changchun Pill. Although their regeneration was not as rapid as that of a Divine Lord, they had now recovered a certain amount of strength and joined the second half of the competition.

However, fortunes change. Just now, Xu Chengyang and his three companions didn't make a move, and now Li Fan isn't either. That's because that expert, Shi Zai Godly Monarch the Supreme Lingzhen Palace, is also out of the picture.

Even when Xu Chengyang and the others were driven to the brink of death, their true intentions revealed, and they were fighting for their lives, Shi Zai Godly Monarch still did not make a move. He continued to move around the Sword Light with his sword light, never stopping for a moment, and never getting involved in the chaotic battle. Just now, he also did not say a word, letting Yinian Shenjun fight four Nascent Soul Stage cultivators who had transformed into sword rainbows.

Damn, these old Xuanmen sect members are really tough to deal with. Their judgment in sword fights is outrageously accurate; they clearly identify their true threats and don't make things any easier for them...

It wasn't just the two Divine Lords who were ambushing Li Fan; Xu Chengyang, while weaving through the auspicious clouds with his sword, also roared through his voice, "You've already tried, haven't you? You have no chance against two! If you don't make your move now, when will you?"

Li Fan rolled his eyes. "Stupid, huh? He could have escaped even if he hadn't made a move."

But Xu Chengyang was actually quite clever. Seeing that he couldn't get Li Fan to talk to him in three sentences, he immediately changed his tactics and changed the target of his verbal attacks.

"Lord Yinian! We have never committed any act of betrayal against our sect! We are merely fish on the chopping block, forced to fight back desperately! Are you so certain that the traitor is among us? So many have already died; perhaps the traitor is already dead! Is it truly righteous to unjustly kill fellow disciples in a moment of anger? Please reconsider; do not do something that pleases your enemies and pains your own people!"

Of course, that's what he said, but his sword aura was in no way inferior. In an instant, he swept away the surrounding auspicious clouds, and four Sword Light of blue sword light attacked the lotus altar of the Yinian Divine Lord.