Frost's Sorrow cursed as it rapidly fled into the distance, dragging the stunned Ling He Fan along with it. By the time Ling He Fan regained his senses, he found himself flying through the air. More precisely, Frost's Sorrow was carrying him.
"Master?" Ling He Fan asked, confused. "Why is that Ye Fan so powerful? What is his cultivation level?"
"Don't ask what you shouldn't!" Frost's Sorrow snapped angrily.
Ling He Fan wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but when he mentioned Ye Fan's name, the sword's body seemed to tremble.
"Master?" Ling He Fan continued, not dwelling on it. "Since that Ye Fan is so powerful, his soul power must be quite formidable. Why don't you take this opportunity..."
"Damn it, I told you to shut up! Didn't you hear me?!" Frost's Sorrow roared in his mind. "From now on, don't mention those two words in front of me, understand?!"
"Yes... Master..." Ling He Fan replied weakly.
A strange thought suddenly appeared in Ling He Fan's mind. Why did his master seem to be afraid of Ye Fan? But he kept the thought to himself, not daring to ask, seeing how irritable Frost's Sorrow was at the moment.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
After Frost's Sorrow fled, Ye Fan awkwardly rubbed his nose. To be outmaneuvered by a piece of trash he'd discarded – what a situation.
"Ye Fan, you're truly amazing!" The little witch approached, her face full of admiration. "As expected of my man!"
"Big Brother is mighty!" Shan Ji and Xiang Jiao Jun immediately showered him with praise.
"Alright, enough nonsense. Let's continue shopping."
It was noon. The sect leaders of other top factions arrived at the Sun-Year Sect. After brief pleasantries, everyone noticed someone was missing.
"Second Elder," Zhao Hao, the sect leader of Sun-Year Sect, inquired. "Did you deliver the message to Sect Leader Li?"
"I did," the Second Elder replied, puzzled. "Their Third Elder received me and said he'd inform Sect Leader Li immediately. By now, they should have been the first to arrive?"
"Perhaps Sect Leader Li was delayed by something," Zhao Hao said, not paying it much mind. He gestured to the others, "Don't just stand here, everyone. Come inside with me."
They entered the building and took their seats. Zhao Hao ordered tea to be served. Since Li Qingyun hadn't arrived yet, they could only chat while drinking tea. Some sect leaders even told jokes. The jokes were all incredibly bland. People laughed heartily, not because of the jokes, but because of the sheer lameness of them. In truth, they all knew they were deeply tense and stressed. The task ahead was so crucial that failure could mean their end. Such unusual behavior in such a state was not surprising.
Pot after pot of tea was brewed and consumed. Li Qingyun, however, never appeared.
An hour later.
"Third Elder," Zhao Hao immediately instructed. "Could you please go to the Qingyun Sect again?"
By the time the Third Elder returned, it was already dusk.
"Reporting to the Sect Leader," the Third Elder respectfully replied. "The Qingyun Sect said Li Qingyun had already departed long ago. Based on the timing, he should have arrived even earlier than the other sect leaders."
At this, everyone's expression changed! Something had happened! They lost all interest in tea and collectively set off to search for Li Qingyun. The Qingyun Sect was very close to the Sun-Year Sect. Even flying at a leisurely pace, it would only take an hour or two. Yet, this short distance took them a very, very long time to search. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they thoroughly searched the entire road between the two sects! Not an inch of ground was missed! But Li Qingyun's whereabouts remained undiscovered.
As days turned into more days, an answer gradually formed in everyone's minds. Although they were a hundred percent and a thousand percent unwilling, they now had to accept this fact. In all likelihood, Li Qingyun was gone... Who had done it? What was the motive? No one knew. If it were any other time, it would be one thing. But Li Qingyun meeting such a fate at this critical juncture made them unable to avoid suspicion. Could it be that "that person" had acted? But that shouldn't be the case. It wasn't the first time they had collaborated to explore a secret realm. "That person" had clearly tacitly approved, so why would they suddenly act now? However... if not him, then who else could it be? Li Qingyun's strength, while not the strongest among them, was still among the strongest in Ge City. Even if he encountered a formidable enemy, he shouldn't have vanished without leaving a single clue... If it were one of them? That would be even more ridiculous. While they all had their rivalries, their common goal was the same now. At the very least, they wouldn't act at such a crucial moment... Despite their thousandfold bewilderment, they had no time to ponder this. Zhao Hao immediately led his people back to the Sun-Year Sect. Besides meeting to discuss details, they also had to make necessary preparations before the upcoming events.
As days passed, the entire Ninth District was gradually shrouded in an oppressive atmosphere. During this time, Zhao Hao also arranged for people to visit Ye Fan several times. The visits were ostensibly to check on him, but in reality, it was to ensure he didn't run away. Ye Fan, however, showed no anger or displeasure. He accepted all the gifts the visitors brought. His days were leisurely and comfortable, filled with pure joy.
Time flew by, and the end of the month arrived! On this day, as dawn broke, Zhao Hao's men appeared.
"Third Elder, is it?" Ye Fan greeted enthusiastically. "After I finish breakfast, we'll set off."
"Everything is as Senior commands," the Third Elder replied respectfully.
"Third Elder, you must be tired from your long journey," Ye Fan asked politely. "Would you like to join me for breakfast?"
"I dare not disturb Senior!" the Third Elder politely declined.
Breakfast was eaten in the courtyard. Ye Fan and his companions sat around a low table, eating with great gusto. During the meal, the Third Elder kept stealing glances at the little witch. It was clear he was an old lecher. Fortunately, his peeping was subtle and went unnoticed by Ye Fan and his group. The Third Elder was in a good mood. He thought, "When this kid dies, I'll get to properly taste this little lady!" In reality, if Ye Fan hadn't stopped her with a look, the little witch would have attacked on the spot! After eating their fill, Ye Fan and his group departed with the Third Elder.
"Senior, we'll head straight there now," the Third Elder explained. "By the time we arrive, the other sect leaders should also be close."
"Oh, alright," Ye Fan replied casually, then threw his cards onto the table. "Three ten thousands."
The Third Elder was speechless. He had initially assumed Ye Fan and his group would fly with him. However, he was only half right. They were flying, but Ye Fan was flying on a bed... A large, eight-person bed, about the size of a small room. Ye Fan and the other three could form a circle to play Mahjong and pass the time on the journey. The problem was that his large bed was powered by spirit stones, and its speed was truly pathetic. Forget the third elder, who was in the Nascent Soul realm; even a mere Spirit Transformation realm cultivator could leave Ye Fan in the dust. To avoid arousing suspicion, he could only endure it. The target location was a mountain east of the inner city. By the time they arrived, the other sect leaders were practically desiccated from waiting. Zhao Hao and his group comprised nine sect leaders and a number of elders, totaling about fifty people. Most of them were at the seventh to tenth level of the Spirit Transformation realm. Elite disciples were not brought along, as they would only be fodder. After a few brief pleasantries, Zhao Hao and the others led Ye Fan to the lakeside on the mountaintop.
"Senior, it's below," Zhao Hao explained, arranging for the Third Elder to jump in first. The others followed suit, diving in like dumplings. Strangely, as they passed through the water, not a single ripple was created. It was as if they had vanished into it. Ye Fan raised an eyebrow, seeming to understand something.
"Senior, please," Zhao Hao said enthusiastically once most had entered. Ye Fan didn't hesitate and plunged in. The moment he passed through the water, Ye Fan understood. Just as he had suspected, this was an artificially created small world. Beneath the water was another vast expanse of land, complete with mountains and rivers. Moreover, Ye Fan felt no sense of weightlessness during the descent. Even in his mortal form, he wouldn't have fallen to his death. Soon, Ye Fan landed on the ground. It was a vast, open plain, and not far away stood a giant gate about thirty feet high. The gate stood starkly there, looking incredibly out of place, like a wooden board hammered into empty ground. It was as bizarre as could be. Even more bizarre was the black-robed elder standing beside it. He was small and hunched, his eyes cloudy and unfocused, looking no different from an ordinary mortal. His left eye was closed, and the socket was visibly sunken. It was likely that this left eye had been gouged out. His purple hair, however, was strikingly eye-catching.
"You've arrived," the elder said slowly, scanning everyone.