The opportunity to reverse his desperate situation was right before his eyes. After observing for quite some time, he found that there seemed to be nothing unusual around the Nameless Shadow. The Nameless who had just attained the Dao should have gone far away.

He could no longer suppress the restless impulse in his heart. Gathering the little strength that remained, he charged toward that figure.

He had thought that his fortunes would finally turn for the better, but who could have imagined...

Returning to the present, he stared at the two isolated Celestial Pillars ahead. After examining them repeatedly, he finally confirmed that he had not seen wrongly, and his heart trembled.

"One of them should be the Southern Immortal Celestial Pillar."

"And the other one..."

"Within it, the one being suppressed is actually that Nameless True Immortal who had only recently attained the Dao! This!"

"Just who are these people!"

Thinking back to the words he had heard earlier, countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

Although he had only just awakened, and his body was merely the Dao Shadow of the Nameless one, he still had great confidence in his own strength. To be captured and suppressed so effortlessly...

The strength of the other party was unfathomable!

"What exactly happened in the outside world during the ten thousand years that I was seriously wounded and trapped? Could it be that the Immortal Realm has been rebuilt?"

Though countless thoughts surged through his mind, at this moment he could only bury them all deep within his heart.

Terrifying force covered his entire body, completely suppressing him. Even speaking or transmitting his voice was an extravagant hope.

While he was feeling anxious and apprehensive, a majestic figure suddenly appeared in the scene.

Being suppressed, he could not see the other party's appearance clearly. But the vast aura emanating from that person, as immense as mountains and seas, reminded him of the two Immortal Emperors he had once seen.

The figure did not waste any words and grabbed him once again.

He immediately felt the body of his nameless Dao Shadow erupt into chaos.

Although the Dao Shadow had been constructed from the fluctuations of power belonging to the Nameless True Immortal who had attained the Dao of [Hunger], it had merely borrowed the impact of that power. In essence, it was still formed from the power contained within this enormous [Shape of Living Beings] that he had personally created.

The impact of attaining the Nameless Dao was like a massive hammer crashing down, leaving behind an imprint.

Yet at this moment, the vitality Dao laws condensed within that imprint began to uncontrollably flow toward the figure ahead. After circling around that person, they returned once again. As they regained their calm, it seemed as though someone had organized and gathered them together, making them even more "solid."

He also sensed that from the outside world, countless vitality Dao laws were surging toward him with frenzied momentum.

"Passable."

The figure ahead shook his head, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied. Even so, he continued manipulating the countless vitality Dao laws, constantly filling and reinforcing them.

"This is... are you planning to use me as a Celestial Pillar?"

Having seen much of the world, he quickly realized what the other party intended.

What happened afterward seemed to confirm his guess.

The enormous vitality Dao laws gathered from who knew where continued flowing in without end. The pressure from the outside world also never diminished, and instead continued increasing little by little.

He had no doubt that beneath such immense force, even a True Immortal would probably be crushed into dust in an instant.

When he imagined being sealed within the Celestial Pillar in the future, unable to transcend for all eternity, the misery would probably be far worse than anything he had endured during the past ten thousand years. His heart filled with incomparable despair and fear.

A True Immortal should have transcended beyond worldly existence and should no longer possess such mundane emotions. And having once been a Nameless being, he should have been even less likely to be so pathetic.

But when the great calamity of the past arrived, the version of him who had been the "Nameless True Immortal" had already died.

What remained was merely an ordinary cultivator who wanted nothing more than to struggle for survival.

After understanding this point, he knew that he could no longer allow things to continue like this.

Once the Celestial Pillar was completely formed, no matter how great his divine abilities were, they would probably be useless.

Gritting his teeth, he made a ruthless decision. The mask on his face suddenly shattered.

The surrounding binding force immediately weakened to nothing.

He hurriedly called out, "Senior, please wait!"

"Desolate Haze Star Region, Governing Immortal Minister, Situ Xing, pays his respects here!"

...

"Governing Immortal Minister."

Hearing Xing Wuwei's words, the force with which Li Fan was suppressing him loosened slightly.

However, Li Fan did not release him. Instead, he quietly examined his opponent in detail.

The sudden explosion of the bronze mask earlier had nearly caught him off guard. He had not expected what seemed to be an object already in the palm of his hand to suddenly erupt with such tremendous resistance.

Fortunately, he had urgently summoned the phantom of Lord Hill Guardian and increased the pressure. Only then had he avoided exposing any weakness.

"What epoch is this, yet you are still using the methods of the Tianluo Emperor?"

"What, as this Governing Immortal Minister, are you planning to govern all the way over my head?"

After thinking for a moment, Li Fan spoke mockingly.

Since his understanding of the ancient Immortal Realm was still rather incomplete, he simply decided not to get too deeply involved in this matter, lest he expose himself. Thus, Li Fan directly led the other party into the deception he had fabricated with a single statement.

"The Immortal Realm has now been completely destroyed. The immortals throughout the heavens are either dead or have fled."

"As an immortal minister of the former dynasty, you cannot control me, this mountain king. Hmph!"

Those few short sentences were enough for the other party to roughly guess his origins.

With the people from the Shuo Star Sea, he could use the identity of the so-called Hidden Emperor. But if he wanted to trick information out of this Governing Immortal Minister, he needed to assume a different identity.

And just as expected, after hearing Li Fan's words, Situ Xing followed the direction he had deliberately guided him toward.

"Occupying a mountain and declaring himself king. The great tide of Dao Annihilation pours down, and even the lower realm cannot escape. Only isolated islands remain."

"And this person suppresses a Nameless Immortal and turns him into a Heavenly Pillar. He is doing this to strengthen his ability to resist the Dao Annihilation..."

Situ Xing's thoughts raced, but his heart gradually turned cold.

He had originally thought that revealing the name of his true body would at least make the other party somewhat apprehensive.

But now it seemed...

"You don't need to call me Senior either."

"Since I began cultivating, I have lived for no more than six thousand years in total, and I have never even been to the so-called Immortal Realm. Heh heh, speaking of which, you, this Governing Immortal Minister, should have lived for quite a few years, right? If anything, I should be the one calling you Senior!"

Li Fan gave a sinister grin and suddenly increased the force of suppression.

"You can stay properly inside this pillar and guard my home for me!"

"Only six thousand years of cultivation, yet you have reached such strength? How is that possible?"

"But there does seem to be something strange about this. That person indeed does not seem to be a True Immortal. Could it be that during the years I was trapped, some new cultivation system developed in the world?"

Upon hearing this, Situ Xing was instinctively shocked and disbelieving.

But he felt the sealing force that had originally become still around him tighten once again.

He had no time to think further.

In his panic, he desperately searched through his mind for any possible way to escape.

"He is not someone from the Immortal Realm. Everything about my past is completely useless against him..."

The surroundings gradually became blurry.

That fierce and savage figure was also gradually obscured by the gathering vitality Dao laws.

Situ Xing knew that this was a sign that the Celestial Pillar was about to be completely sealed.

"A person from the lower realm..."

At this critical moment, a figure suddenly flashed through Situ Xing's mind.

After hesitating for a moment, he decided to grasp at this last desperate chance and used the little strength he had remaining to shout:

"Senior, please wait! I was once one of the Twelve Dharma Kings of the Xuantian Sect, Xing Wuwei!"

The other party had merely resorted to desperate measures out of desperation. Deep down, he did not believe that this so called title of the Twelve Dharma Kings would be of any use. But what Situ Xing did not expect was that after hearing his words, the force binding him actually weakened.

“Twelve Dharma Kings, Xing Wuxu?”

“The twelve people who stayed by Xuanyuan Hong’s side?” Li Fan asked, scrutinizing him with some suspicion.

The name Xuanyuan Hong seemed to awaken some ancient memories within Situ Xing, causing him to momentarily lose focus.

But at this critical juncture between life and death, he had no time to think too much. He hurriedly replied, “That’s right, exactly.”

“Back then, who did Xuanyuan Hong actually love, Luo Yichen, Ji Yuzhen, or Madam Nie?” Li Fan’s tone was strange, his expression playful, as he suddenly asked this question.

Situ Xing, or rather Xing Wuxu, was stunned on the spot.

“Hm?”

“...None of them! Although all three secretly harbored feelings for him, according to my observations, Xuanyuan Hong had already set his heart on someone else. That was why he always maintained his distance from them.” Seeing that the other party seemed ready to suppress him back beneath the Celestial Pillar at the slightest disagreement, Situ Xing’s heart jumped, and he hurriedly answered.

“Hahahaha, you certainly observed quite carefully. Xuanyuan Hong did indeed have a childhood sweetheart, and she was an extraordinary figure as well...” Li Fan deliberately stopped halfway, leaving the other party with endless room for imagination. He then slightly loosened Situ Xing’s restraints.

The towering mountain suspended above his head was temporarily moved aside. Situ Xing could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He tentatively tried to probe for more information. “Senior, you know Xuanyuan Hong?”

“That’s right. Back then, he once saved my life during the Dao Annihilation. But afterward, he disappeared without a trace. I had always wanted to find an opportunity to repay him, yet I could never meet him again,” Li Fan answered.

“That does indeed sound like something Xuanyuan Hong would do,” Situ Xing secretly nodded to himself.

“Speaking of which, you were at least someone who followed Xuanyuan Hong around. How did you end up in this state?”

Hearing the question, Situ Xing gave a bitter smile. “This matter... is difficult to explain in just a few words.”

“Then take your time. I have not properly spoken with anyone for a very long time. Under the Dao Annihilation Calamity, living beings have withered away. There is not even a fellow cultivator left with whom I can converse!” Li Fan patted Situ Xing on the shoulder. After completely removing the suppressive force, he spoke in a solemn voice.

Although he had temporarily regained his freedom, Situ Xing still did not dare act recklessly. He inadvertently glanced at the two Celestial Pillars nearby.

He studied Li Fan while organizing his thoughts, carefully weaving together an explanation for everything that had happened.

“Judging from what this person said, Xuanyuan Hong seems to have already reached an extremely high level of cultivation. At the very least, he is certainly no weaker than this person. But that would only be natural.”

After a long while, Situ Xing finally spoke. “Senior, you should know that I was not exaggerating earlier. My true body is indeed Situ Xing, the Governing Immortal Minister of the Desolate Haze Star Region. I suppressed an entire star region of the Immortal Realm while in the Nameless realm. It is just that...”

Li Fan waved his hand and interrupted him. “I know. You people all descended to the lower realm in pursuit of the so called supreme treasure and searched for opportunities. That is not important. Get to the point!”

Situ Xing was dumbfounded. He opened his mouth, only to discover that his mind had gone completely blank.

“What? You were allowed to descend to the lower realm, but Xuanyuan Hong could not do the same? The great catastrophe was approaching, and everyone had to display their own abilities. Besides, have you never considered that the person capable of making all of you willingly submit to him and become completely devoted to following him could possibly be an ordinary person?” Li Fan sneered disdainfully.

Situ Xing’s expression changed several times.

“That’s right. That’s right.” He suddenly seemed somewhat dazed, repeating the words over and over.

“Back then, the majority of us should have had our own spiritual perception obscured. But after being trapped in the form of a living being for tens of thousands of years, I gradually recovered my original consciousness. Only then did I vaguely realize that something about Xuanyuan Hong was strange.”

“But he truly behaved far too much like an ordinary mortal...”

“Yet how could an ordinary mortal possibly have made a group of True Immortals who had descended to the lower realm willingly follow him back then?”

There was deep confusion in Situ Xing’s voice as well.

“Exactly. That is what I thought too.”

“Back then, I even forced him to answer me, but he stubbornly refused to admit it,” Li Fan said with a chuckle.

“Er... That was also just your speculation, Senior?” Situ Xing was utterly astonished. He suddenly raised his head and stared at Li Fan.

“What? Was my guess wrong?” Li Fan’s gaze turned cold as he met Situ Xing’s eyes.

Their eye contact lasted only a moment before the bone chilling indifference in Li Fan’s eyes jolted Situ Xing awake. He hurriedly looked away.

“It makes sense. It makes perfect sense.”

“That supreme treasure must possess its own spirituality. If we waited for it with a specific purpose in mind, there would be a very high chance of accomplishing nothing. Therefore, all of us chose to seal our own spiritual perception and simply wait based on our individual destiny. As the saying goes, everyone relies on their own ability. This also allowed us to avoid a conflict among the forces of the Immortal Realm above,” Situ Xing continued.

“Those capable of becoming True Immortals all possess extraordinary talent and innate qualities. Even if they took another journey through the mortal world, they would inevitably become outstanding figures. However, it seems that the destiny of all of us was simply not enough. First of all, the Dao Annihilation Calamity came far too quickly. The Immortal Realm collapsed at a speed completely beyond our imagination, to the point that we had not even had time to return to the Immortal Realm...”

“Our positions in the upper realm were all different. When the ascension passage leading to the Xuanhuang Realm was destroyed, some of us were still safe. Others had already suffered calamities in their true bodies. For some, the consciousness of their true bodies had begun to awaken. Yet among ourselves, we all maintained a tacit and delicate balance.”

“All of it was because of the special circumstances surrounding Xuanyuan Hong,” Situ Xing slowly explained.

“You suspected that the supreme treasure had fallen into Xuanyuan Hong’s hands?” Li Fan suddenly smiled and interjected.

Situ Xing remained silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

“Otherwise, it would be extremely difficult to explain his sudden rise, as well as his dazzling brilliance that overwhelmed his entire generation while completely disregarding the True Immortals who had descended to the lower realm.”

“You should know that Xuanyuan Hong’s aptitude was really not particularly high. Yet somehow, at every single step, he just happened to walk ahead of everyone else.” There was a trace of bewilderment in Situ Xing’s voice.

“But before it was confirmed, none of us could act against him directly. Moreover, Xuanyuan Hong’s true identity was also unknown, so we could only patiently wait for an opportunity. Yet no one expected that...”

“One day, he suddenly disappeared and never appeared again,” Li Fan finished for Situ Xing.

Situ Xing continued nodding.

“He disappeared far too quickly and too suddenly. Moreover, at the final moment, he even warned us...”

“It was simply impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood. We could not determine whether he had taken the opportunity to escape, or whether he had truly met with some calamity.”

“This also caused disagreements among us. Some chose to follow the traces and continue pursuing him. Others believed that their destiny was insufficient and gave up from that point onward...”

Li Fan shook his head slightly. “No wonder the once mighty Xuantian Sect disappeared instantly after the Xuantian King was gone.”

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