Faced with Zhang Qianmo's questioning, Li Fan simply smiled without answering.
"To think the once-greatest sect in the world has now fallen so low as to consort with demonic beasts."
A flicker of disdain crossed Zhang Qianmo's face. "It seems the efforts of the orthodox sects these past years have not been in vain."
Li Fan's expression remained unchanged, his tone distant. "Senior Brother Zhang, some things in this world are not as simple as they appear on the surface.
"What if I said I have nothing to do with this Xuantian Sect? Would you believe me?"
Zhang Qianmo looked at Li Fan as if he were an idiot, his expression clearly stating “Do I look like I'd believe that?” Then he snorted and said nothing.
Li Fan chuckled, letting the matter drop.
He studied Zhang Qianmo, sifting through the memories attached to Li Chen's body, and noticed some intriguing details he'd previously overlooked.
After a moment of thoughtful silence, he ventured a probe. "The Xuantian Sect... that was so many years ago. Your orthodox sects treat it as a taboo subject. In all my years since joining the Purple Firmament Sect, I've never once heard any news about it.
"You're not much older than I am, Senior Brother. How do you know about these secrets so clearly?"
Zhang Qianmo's expression shifted slightly, but he still did not answer.
Seeing his guess confirmed, Li Fan pressed further. "I always thought Master and the other elders acted strangely toward you. I used to think it was because your talent was simply too exceptional. But now, thinking about it..." Li Fan smiled.
Zhang Qianmo's face slowly darkened.
"Moreover, although we are fellow disciples, your mastery of techniques and divine abilities far surpasses mine! Especially that Purple Core Nirvana Method of yours..."
At this, Zhang Qianmo's expression finally changed completely.
He gave Li Fan a deep, penetrating look, as if to sear his image into memory forever.
An instant later, his aura that had already diminished to that of a mortal began to fade rapidly.
Li Fan was taken aback and hurried forward to check, but it was already too late.
By the time he reached Zhang Qianmo's side, Senior Brother Zhang had completely lost all signs of life.
Feigned death? Nirvana?
Li Fan remained wary and began an examination.
A long while later, Li Fan stood up, stroking his chin.
The result was somewhat unexpected: Zhang Qianmo was truly dead.
And this time, he did not undergo a nirvana rebirth from his Purple Core as he had before; he had perished completely.
If this were the real world, death phenomena should have manifested above by now.
A secret method to end one's own life, even with all vital acupoints sealed...
Knowledge of ancient secrets, a subtle difference in status within the sect...
Possessing heaven-defyingly grand ambition despite only being at the Foundation Establishment realm. A vision so vast it's terrifying...
Lost in thought, Li Fan murmured, "It seems this Senior Brother Zhang had another identity. What a pity..."
For safety's sake, he did not remove the Immortal-Severing Stone needles while searching Zhang Qianmo's corpse.
He found nothing of value except for a single storage ring.
He attempted to probe inside with his divine sense to see its contents, but a flash of purple lightning repelled him.
It seems there's a restriction. I can't break it. After more than a dozen attempts, Li Fan felt a pang of regret at his failure.
Forget it. I can't take it back to reality anyway. He decided to simply give up.
Senior Brother Zhang is dealt with. Next is that Manager Song.
After a moment's thought, Li Fan dug a pit in the secret chamber and placed Zhang Qianmo's body inside. He then covered it with that slab of Immortal-Severing Stone.
Afterwards, he headed straight for the Rebirth Longevity Tree at the city's center. As he drew near, he released his own aura.
"Which senior brother approaches?" came Song Hesong's slightly surprised voice.
Soon, a figure in gray Daoist robes appeared before Li Fan. "So it's Senior Brother Li in person!"
Li Fan dispensed with pleasantries, speaking in a cold and direct voice. "Manager Song, you've managed Ningyuan City quite well!"
Song Hesong was taken aback by Li Fan's accusatory tone from the outset, fearing their plot had been exposed and the game was up.
His first instinct was to strike, but he restrained himself, asking tentatively, "Senior Brother, what do you mean by that?"
Li Fan snorted. "Senior Brother Zhang and I discovered some forbidden objects within the city. If the existence of these items within the territory of our Purple Firmament Sect were exposed, not only would a minor manager like you be implicated, but the entire sect could face significant repercussions."
"Forbidden objects?" Song Hesong couldn't help but feel bewildered.
Putting on a look of fearful ignorance, Song Hesong asked, "What exactly are these objects that violate such a major taboo? Please enlighten me, Senior Brother!"
Li Fan turned and flew toward Mister Bai's courtyard. "Follow me!"
Song Hesong watched Li Fan's retreating figure, hesitating for a moment.
He swept the area with his divine sense—Chu Liang and the others were still in position at the planned ambush site, no issues there.
Relying on his Golden Core cultivation, Song Hesong felt confident enough to follow.
Soon, he arrived at the entrance to the underground chamber.
Li Fan's voice drifted up from below, tinged with surprise. "Huh? Where's Senior Brother Zhang?"
Song Hesong scanned the area once more with his divine sense, detected no ambush, and descended into the chamber.
Upon seeing the damaged, faceless stone statue standing within, he froze momentarily. This statue could not be detected by divine sense at all.
"Senior Brother, could the forbidden object you mentioned earlier be this statue?" Song Hesong couldn't help but ask.
Li Fan nodded and moved closer. "Correct. It is this very Xuantian Idol!"
"Xuantian Idol..." Manager Song frowned slightly, as if he had heard that name long ago.
A moment later, he seemed to remember something. His body trembled slightly, and his pupils contracted. He whipped his head around to stare at the faceless statue once more.
Thwip!
At that moment, a stone needle pierced fiercely through his dantian from behind.
Shock and horror flooded his mind. He tried to counterattack, but the flow of qi within his body hit a sudden, jarring obstruction.
What awaited him were the thirty-five more Immortal-Severing Stone needles.
With all his vital acupoints sealed, Song Hesong collapsed to the floor, limp. A wave of regret surged in his mind, yet a sliver of hope remained.
He struggled to speak. "Senior Brother... what is the meaning of this? I truly had no knowledge that this Xuantian Idol was hidden within the city. While I am guilty of dereliction of duty, surely my crime does not warrant this..."
Li Fan's words cut him off mercilessly, "And what if we add colluding with outsiders and plotting treason to the list? A Golden Core cultivator, forced to play the part of a mere Qi Refinement disciple—what a humiliation you must have endured."
Song Hesong's face instantly drained of all color as his heart sank like a stone.
He wanted to make one final, desperate struggle, but it was utterly futile.
Li Fan advanced step by step. "Let's see what exactly you know."
Having noted every minute shift in Song Hesong's expression, a chilling smile spread across Li Fan's face.
Song Hesong watched as the man retrieved a hammer, a knife, nails, and other tools from a wooden crate, arranging them on the table with deliberate, unhurried care.
A cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.