"It's a pity that this thing is too conspicuous. I can't replace it with something else."
Li Fan sighed, then turned his gaze to the ink-stained evil book.
The moment he took it out and placed it before him, both the Transformation Stone and the Dissociation Disk within his sea of consciousness simultaneously reacted with disgust—and a faint trace of fear.
"As expected… there's something very wrong with it."
Li Fan stared intently at the dark metal book.
He couldn't tell what material it was made of, but its surface shimmered with a dull black glow. That black light seemed almost alive, constantly flowing and writhing across the metal.
It was very different from the ink-colored aura he had once seen on Mo Sha's body. Mo Sha's ink was pure destruction—cold, sharp, and absolute.
But the ink on this evil book carried a heavy stench, something nauseating and deeply unsettling.
"It's like the filth produced during the operation of heaven and earth itself—something that the world refuses to tolerate…"
"In that sense, it's somewhat similar to the world of [Ghost] that Master Yin belongs to."
Li Fan muttered thoughtfully.
He took out a standard Immortal Alliance Nascent Soul–level magic treasure, the Green Bamboo Ring, and used it for testing.
Once the ink-stained evil book was activated, thousands of black rays burst forth and enveloped the ring, as though fresh ink had been splashed across a blank sheet of paper.
The Green Bamboo Ring's bright emerald glow dimmed instantly, and its spiritual aura collapsed almost at once.
Even though the black light was under his control, Li Fan still frowned and instinctively stepped back.
After putting away the ink-stained evil book, he waited a long while before the black residue clinging to the Green Bamboo Ring finally began to dissipate.
From the Spirit Wood World, faint discomfort spread through the ancient trees.
"The ink-dyed black light doesn't vanish on its own. It requires time for the world itself to purify it."
"If the quantity exceeds what the world can process, even an entire world could be polluted."
"While it might not completely destroy a world, it would render it foul and unfit for cultivators to inhabit."
Li Fan nodded slowly.
He picked up the Green Bamboo Ring again. Having been soaked in the black light for so long, it had lost all function as a magic treasure.
With a light squeeze using only physical strength, the ring shattered inch by inch, scattering fragments across the ground.
"It truly is a specialized counter to magic treasures."
"With this, the effectiveness of Xuan Sushang's protective armor will be greatly reduced. Mo Rubin really did think this through…"
Li Fan put away the Mo Ran Evil Book and silently praised Mo Rubin's foresight.
Time passed quickly, and the predicted date for Shuofeng and Xuan Sushang's meeting drew closer.
There was no need for Li Fan to send people to monitor the situation personally. Mo Rubin continuously relayed information about the possible caves.
Five locations in total—two were quickly ruled out.
The remaining three caves had already begun preparations in advance.
The Xuan family held an exalted status and was accustomed to luxury. Wherever they went, even without explicit instructions, their subordinates would prepare everything meticulously to avoid offending their masters.
Since the final destination had not yet been decided, all three caves were prepared simultaneously.
For the Xuan family, such expenditures were insignificant.
After standing at the pinnacle of the Immortal Alliance for so long, they clearly never imagined that anyone would dare target them.
Their so-called secrecy measures were merely symbolic—almost nonexistent.
"You can't really blame them. Perhaps Xuan Sushang herself looks down on the idea of security."
Li Fan smiled faintly, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes.
He summoned Tianyang, Lin Ling, and Daoist Baihua, briefing them on the objective of the operation.
"Just cooperate with me."
Li Fan taught them a specific formation, instructing them to familiarize themselves with it and rehearse while waiting.
"The four of us activating this formation together will be enough to seal off an entire region."
"No entry, no exit. Inside and outside will be completely cut off—no communication possible."
"Anyone trapped within will be suppressed by a force equivalent to the combined power of our souls. Their strength will drop drastically."
"This operation isn't especially dangerous. Speed is everything. Decide quickly."
After a preliminary drill, Daoist Baihua—who had personally tested the formation's power—couldn't help but exclaim:
"This formation is truly extraordinary. Even among the surviving realms, it would be hard to find anyone capable of resisting it."
Lin Ling's eyes flickered with restrained fear.
Only Tianyang remained dull and indifferent.
Li Fan merely smiled.
How could they know that this seemingly overwhelming formation had been precisely tailored—based on detailed intelligence about Xuan Sushang and Shuofeng, deduced over more than ten days by the Final Dissociation Disk?
Everything was ready.
Li Fan also contacted Mo Rubin.
The god-and-demon incarnation attached to Mo Rubin joined them outside Tianquan State.
Mo Rubin's gaze lingered briefly on Daoist Baihua among the three Hedao cultivators accompanying Li Fan, then he closed his eyes again, his expression cold and indifferent.
"It would be troublesome if they met inside the Immortal Alliance Celestial City," Mo Rubin said.
"But they dislike how crude the city caves are. They're used to living in natural caves outside the city…"
He gave a low, contemptuous laugh.
"Arrogance and extravagance—those are already paths to death."
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has always been like this," Li Fan replied with a strange smile.
"The Dharma transmitter you occupy is even worse."
Mo Rubin snorted coldly.
"It's time to give the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance a warning."
Two days later, based on the movements of cultivators around the three caves, they finally locked onto the target.
A bamboo sea stretching for thousands of miles.
Li Fan and his group hovered in concealment above the endless green expanse, each wearing a different expression.
Daoist Baihua seemed to recall his destroyed homeland; a trace of sorrow passed through his eyes.
Lin Ling scanned the bamboo sea carefully, searching for any trace of familiar spirits.
Li Fan and Mo Rubin, however, exchanged quiet mockery.
"They really know how to enjoy themselves."
"This place will make an excellent burial ground."
As they waited for Xuan Sushang's arrival, an unexpected incident occurred.
A pious prayer suddenly echoed within Li Fan's mind.
Mo Rubin sensed something and glanced at Li Fan, frowning slightly.
"It's nothing," Li Fan said calmly, signaling reassurance.
At the same time, he focused on the image appearing in his consciousness.
It was Dao Xuanzi—someone he hadn't seen in a long time, and a member of the Federation of All Realms in this lifetime.
Years earlier, Li Fan had revealed the approximate location of the Canghai Pearl to them. After years of searching and waiting, they had finally found it.
Using the method of re-establishing the Dao, Dao Xuanzi had successfully rebuilt the wondrous Dao Foundation of Earth.
The powerful wave of faith just now was Dao Xuanzi's sincere gratitude, offered to the Merciful Immortal of the Mortal World after his successful foundation establishment.
Li Fan noticed that the golden power of wishes that spontaneously appeared within his body was subtly different from anything he had harvested before.