Just upon entering the cavern, it appeared so murderous, even Ye Fan was on guard, because no cultivator's presence could be sensed ahead.

No one emerged from within; that scream might have just been the result of the sudden influx of people, causing a shift in airflow, resulting in the sound of friction against the stone cracks and walls.

"What's there to be so alarmed about? You're cultivators, yet you're afraid of a little sound?" A sect master from a small sect, thinking that having reached the early stage of Deity Transformation granted him authority, took a few steps forward, but before reaching the place where the scream came from, his body suddenly halted, then seemed petrified, completely motionless, and finally, with a gust of demonic wind, disintegrated into dust and scattered.

"Ah?" The over two hundred cultivators present were stunned by the scene before them.

Hua Wu looked at Ye Fan and said, "Young Hero Ye, can you explain this?"

No one dared to step forward, everyone watched Ye Fan following Hua Wu's questioning, Huang Ze asked, "What the Sect Master Hua said is puzzling; Sect Master Chang of the Pure Moon Sect went up to his death on his own, triggering a mechanism, what's it got to do with Young Hero Ye?"

"So many people went past before, why did the mechanism only trigger when Sect Master Chang went over?" Hua Wu voiced the question on many people's minds, "Perhaps Young Hero Ye had the mechanism set up by someone himself?"

Ye Fan, with a cold expression, said, "It seems Sect Master Hua still harbors deep prejudice against me, why would I want to kill the Sect Master of the Pure Moon Sect?"

Hua Wu snorted coldly, saying nothing, but a disciple from a sect with good relations with the Pure Moon Sect spoke out, "Who knows, the Cold Sun Elixir from the Pure Moon Sect is famous throughout the Pan Gu secret realm, maybe Alliance Hierarch Ye is interested in it?"

Ye Fan glanced at the person, seeing it was a female cultivator in her forties, from her tone it seemed she had discussed something secretly with Hua Wu, likely she was instigated by Hua Wu to stir trouble.

"What is the Cold Sun Elixir that our young master would fancy your little bit of elixir?" Sang Yuan walked out, glaring at the speaking female cultivator, "Speak out of turn again, and I'll turn you into air!"

"See, the conspiracy is exposed, now they're resorting to threats, letting someone with malicious intent be the Alliance Hierarch, all the sects will be ruined under his hand!" The female cultivator continued to stir trouble relentlessly.

Sang Yuan was somewhat angry and was about to kill the female cultivator to establish Ye Fan's prestige, but Ye Fan knew Hua Wu and those who had prejudices against him were waiting for him to make a move, now making a move would fall into their pre-arranged trap. If a mad dog bites, and you bite back, Ye Fan thought himself unworthy of being this Alliance Hierarch, unable to shoulder the responsibility of saving the masses, especially since the chosen one had not yet been found, Ye Fan could not make enemies among the sects now.

"Since you all have doubts, let me lead the way!" After Ye Fan said so, he walked to the front of the group.

Everyone watched him without stopping him, at this time Li Zhaojun, Min Shang, and Sang Yuan followed. Li Zhaojun said, "We'll go together."

Ye Fan looked at his resolute wife, feeling a bit warmer in his heart, even the self-proclaimed devoid of all cultivation Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman followed Lan Jing over. Ye Fan walked directly to the place where Sect Master Chang was petrified, and stopped because Ye Fan suddenly stopped moving, others thought he was petrified too, and paused to look.

But to many people's disappointment, Ye Fan was not petrified, finally opening his eyes calmly.

"The mechanism is one-time use, once triggered, it's gone," Ye Fan said deeply, "This kind of mechanism has a triggering mechanism, it doesn't necessarily trigger with the first or few people passing by, perhaps elsewhere in the cavern there are such mechanisms too, with triggers unknown, everyone should be cautious!"

"Ah?" Following Ye Fan's words, everyone present started to have second thoughts.

The people from the seven major sects probably had nothing to fear, they've seen many storms, but for the cultivators from smaller sects, they couldn't help but keep silent like cicadas. Ye Fan's point was that the mechanism triggers unpredictably, whenever it's supposed to trigger, it will trigger, so even hiding among or behind the group is ineffective.

Hai Wuzi said, "I've heard before, there should be some sign before this kind of mechanism is triggered, that previous shrill sound might have been a prelude to the trigger. Next time, everyone, be more cautious!"

Upon hearing there were signs, some sighed in relief, following the group further below.

Hua Wu still held some hostility towards Ye Fan, saying, "Young Hero Ye, if you cause the sects' members to perish here, you won't be able to shoulder the responsibility!"

"No need for Sect Master Hua to remind," Ye Fan said without turning his head, "If the sects' people truly cannot leave, I will not be selfishly independent!"

"Well said. With such accountability, Young Hero Ye is indeed a blessing for the Pan Gu secret realm. Haha." Huang Ze, at this point, seemed like a sycophant of Ye Fan, praising him from the start, speaking on his behalf in everything.

Ye Fan was very aware of Huang Ze's cunningness, this old fox surely had hidden schemes.

The cavern's terrain was very flat, extending further underground, but due to the unclear airflow and mechanisms below, even though everyone present had the ability to fly swiftly, they maintained walking steadily because the cavern also had some stone steps, obviously man-made, these steps bore the vicissitudes of at least ten millennia, claiming Ye Fan had them set momentarily was not credible.

Up ahead, Sang Yuan's people were paving the way, hanging night light stones around to illuminate, with plenty of people, at least making those with low cultivation feel less afraid.

But after walking for over half an hour, already a few hundred meters deep underground, suddenly from a distance came a "Wooooah" shrill sound, everyone instantly halted their steps.

"Another mechanism triggered! Everyone be cautious!" Someone shouted in warning.

Even Ye Fan naturally paused, using Spiritual Sense and the Copper Mirror simultaneously to search the surrounding space for any anomalous force being triggered, but after a sweep, he only sensed some fleeing spirits, not the presence of any mechanism.

Ye Fan commanded loudly, "Everyone stays where you are, once you move rashly and trigger a mechanism to your death, don't blame others!"

Saying this, Ye Fan already leaped up, using a strong wave of Spiritual Energy to surge deeper underground, just as the Spiritual Energy was released, a "boom" resounded, even the ground trembled, the fluctuation of Spiritual Energy was so strong, those with low cultivation couldn't stand steady, sitting down on the ground immediately.

After a long time, Ye Fan descended again.

Ye Fan said, "The mechanism has been broken, this mechanism was likely to guard against cultivators breaking in using Cultivation Techniques. Since we came on foot, it didn't affect any of us. Everyone, continue forward!"

"Hold on!" Hua Wu suddenly raised his hand, "Young Hero Ye, are you sure the mechanism is broken? What if more people die or get injured from triggered mechanisms, then what?"

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