"We need to get out of here! This damned thing is too much to handle!"

Huangfu Song cried out as he frantically laid array after array around the Samantabhadra True Boat.

The flying boat's escape velocity multiplied in an instant.

But the terrifying corpse giant pursued them relentlessly from behind. And its speed seemed not much slower than the Samantabhadra True Boat!

"Quick, head to Luoyan Province. Only the official might of the Immortal Alliance can handle a monster like this!"

Before the suggestion was even voiced, Li Fan had already plotted the fastest escape route and was steering the flying boat in a desperate retreat.

Given the distance on the map and their flight speed, they should have long since burst free of the White Mist's range. But the mist around them remained thick and unchanging.

"We're in trouble. Without realizing it, that corpse giant has dragged us into a Lost Domain." Li Fan's expression darkened.

"What?" Huangfu Song started. A quick inspection confirmed Li Fan spoke the truth.

"This... we can't win in a fight, and we can't outrun it. Isn't this a dead end?" Dongfang Yao's face paled slightly.

"Let's flee while we think," Li Fan said decisively.

The Samantabhadra True Boat held its breakneck speed, searching for an exit from the Lost Domain. The corpse giant followed close behind, an implacable hunter refusing to give up its prize.

Several times, the giant nearly seized the boat. Li Fan, relying on the piloting skills he'd honed during his time trying to cross the Immortal-Severing Grand Array, narrowly dodged each crisis.

"Damn it! Why does it keep following us? What grudge does it hold against us?" Huangfu Song, unable to endure the constant pressure, vented in powerless rage.

That offhand remark sparked a thought in Li Fan.

This horrifying corpse giant was clearly linked to the Heavenly Physician. It lacked conscious will, acting purely on instinct. Why, then, did it single out Li Fan and his two companions for such dogged pursuit?

Even as it chased them, it howled in resentful anguish.

Could it be sensing the Heavenly Physician's aura on me?

But Li Fan quickly dismissed the guess.

It had been lifetimes since he last faced the Heavenly Physician. Back then, the moment his avatar had been exposed, the Heavenly Physician had torn open the Tianxuan Mirror's space to hunt him, forcing him to Return to Truth.

He certainly hadn't picked up any of the Heavenly Physician's aura since then.

Li Fan glanced at Huangfu Song and Dongfang Yao beside him.

They couldn't even hear the sounds the corpse giant was making. It was even less likely that they had any connection to that formidable being.

So... is it something I'm carrying that's drawing the corpse giant?

The possibility struck him in a flash.

He swept his gaze over everything on his person, discarding anything suspicious without hesitation. But the corpse giant's pursuit never wavered.

Finally, his eyes locked onto a single white rib.

This was the only item Yin Shangren had dropped in this lifetime after Li Fan killed him.

It had belonged to the first person infected by the Immortal-Mortal Miasma.

Could it be this thing?

Li Fan hesitated, then took the rib in his hand.

It felt cold, yet somehow warm and smooth to the touch.

He hurled it with all his strength in the opposite direction of the flying boat's flight.

A moment passed.

"Heavenly..."

"Physician..."

The corpse giant changed its target.

It abandoned the Samantabhadra True Boat and lunged for the white rib instead.

What does this mean? Li Fan looked on, brow furrowed in thought.

Then something even more incomprehensible happened.

When the corpse giant retrieved the rib, Li Fan had expected it to turn back and continue chasing them with savage fury.

Instead, its movements slowed. It paused, standing there dumbly.

The rising and falling wails of "Heavenly Physician" gradually quieted.

The corpse giant cupped the rib awkwardly in its hands, cradling it against its chest.

Then it vanished into the vast White Mist.

The change happened in an instant. Aside from Li Fan, the other two on the boat had no idea what had just happened.

They only saw Li Fan casually toss something, and then watched the terrifying giant turn and vanish after it.

Shaken by their narrow escape, they stared blankly at Li Fan.

It took him a long moment to collect himself. He shrugged and said, "Just luck."

Huangfu and Dongfang said nothing. Li Fan had, after all, saved their lives, and since he seemed unwilling to explain, they chose not to press.

After this, one could truly say the three of them had faced life and death together.

Their bond might not run deep, but it was stronger than the ties between most cultivators in this world.

At least, that was how Huangfu and Dongfang saw it.

Everyone had their own secrets. They tacitly agreed to let the matter drop.

With the threat gone, the three eventually fought their way clear of the Lost Domain.

For some reason, though, this Lost Domain offered no reward of Qingxuan Points.

Still, surviving was already a blessing. They couldn't ask for more.

After calming their nerves, the three discussed and decided to take a break and retreat temporarily.

But the sight of two more Disassembler Discs vanishing from the Heaven-Measuring Mirror made them change their minds.

Setting aside their recent brush with death, they plunged back into the White Mist.

***

"Thus it is said: men die for wealth, birds die for food. This is the principle of heaven and earth, and even we cultivators are not exempt. Unless another Eternal Heavenly Venerable reverses this principle, incidents like this will keep happening within our Myriad Immortals Alliance."

Nangong Shirong spoke eloquently to Xu Bai, but he wasn't talking about Huangfu Song's group.

He was talking about Xiang Rongxin, the City Lord of Tianliang.

After weeks of meticulous investigation and mediation between various powers, the ultimate scapegoat for the Wang Qiupo affair had been determined.

It was this City Lord Xiang.

There was no way around it. Most of the cultivators Wang Qiupo had recommended owed their positions to Xiang's patronage, and Xiang himself had freely admitted to accepting many treasures from Wang Qiupo.

In the end, his position as City Lord was revoked. Fortunately, his life was spared, and his cultivation realm remained intact.

He was simply exiled to the Cangwu Abyss, far in the extreme southwest, to stand guard against the increasingly violent monsters stirring within.

Nangong Shirong, who had rendered great service in this case, naturally inherited Xiang Rongxin's position.

The internal decision had already been made. In a few more days, the official decree would be formally issued.

Riding the wave of his success, Nangong Shirong naturally did not forget Xu Bai, this "great contributor."

He even extended an olive branch to Xu Bai, intending to invite him to take a post within Tianliang Province.

His rise to prominence had been swift, but it had also offended a great many people.

His foundation was weak, and he urgently needed to build his own power base.

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