Lu Xichan stood before the void of nothingness where Myriad Immortals Island's Martial Hall had once stood, her brow faintly creased.
Fine threads of green light manifested, coiling around her fingertips.
She studied the familiar yet alien glow, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes.
The Congyun Sea was a remote backwater; few cultivators knew Lu Xichan's true identity. Yet even in silence, the sheer weight of her presence reduced Myriad Immortals Island to a tomblike hush.
No one dared look at her directly. Like Li Fan, they kept their eyes downcast and their gazes averted, while their minds raced with speculation about who this woman was.
Finally, two figures, one man and one woman flew out from the island's central Administration Hall to meet her.
They were Zi Yun and Hong Xi, the only two Spirit Transformation Immortal Eminences in the Congyun Sea.
"Greetings, Chief Lu!"
They bowed in unison, their expressions carrying a trace of tension.
Anyone who could make the top two figures of the Congyun Sea act with such deference was undoubtedly a personage of immense importance!
The cultivators bowing below were both stunned and burning with curiosity. They wondered in silence why an existence like Chief Lu would deign to visit a place like the Congyun Sea.
Could it truly be for this inexplicable green light?
"Formalities are unnecessary. The task at hand takes priority."
Lu Xichan swept a cold glance over the assembled cultivators below, then raised her hand toward the sky.
"Effective immediately, Myriad Immortals Island is under lockdown. No one leaves without my express command."
Translucent patterns radiated outward from a central point, swiftly enveloping the entire island.
"I have petitioned to sever the local Tianxuan Mirror's connection to the outside world. Ordinary communication methods have also been blocked. Until this matter is thoroughly investigated, you are responsible for maintaining order on the island."
Hong Xi grasped the gravity of the situation at once and nodded in immediate assent.
The island's cultivators exchanged bewildered looks. It seemed something major had truly happened!
The entire island was sealed, with entry permitted but exit forbidden. Such a stringent measure was likely the first in Myriad Immortals Island's history.
Hidden within the crowd, Li Fan felt a twinge of unease.
The development of events in this lifetime had spiraled far beyond anything he had anticipated.
He had originally planned to play the charlatan and muddle through the Myriad Immortals Alliance's investigation.
He never expected that Gongsun Qixuan would truly live up to his reputation, that the man would actually deduce something from the phrase "Tianxuan Soul-Locking, Xuanhuang unified" and trigger a surge of green energy resembling the Xuan Net.
Still less had he foreseen that the disturbance would instantly draw Lu Xichan's attention from countless li away, prompting her to cross provinces and impose a lockdown on the island.
I can only take it one step at a time. If I can come through this crisis unscathed, the situation can still be brought back under control. Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly and began quietly revising his plans.
After Lu Xichan secured control of Myriad Immortals Island, black-robed cultivators began arriving through the teleportation arrays one after another.
They radiated a palpable killing intent as they fanned out across the island to patrol and monitor the region.
The island's cultivators were divided into groups and subjected to interrogation in turn.
The first to be scrutinized were the survivors of the Martial Hall anomaly. And Li Fan, as the incident's instigator, was the first to be called.
Fortunately, he did not have to face Lu Xichan herself. Even so, he could faintly sense a gaze resting on him, as light and intangible as a breath. So he did not let his guard down. He kept his face pale, feigning that he had not yet recovered from his injuries.
He gave a truthful account of what had occurred inside the Martial Hall.
"After I deduced that phrase, I suffered backlash from the heavenly mechanisms. As for what Elder Gongsun actually saw, or why it summoned that terrifying green light, I have no idea."
Li Fan coughed, his expression one of complete innocence, shifting all responsibility squarely onto Gongsun Qixuan.
The three cultivators conducting the interrogation asked a few follow-up questions, then escorted Li Fan deep into the Administration Hall and locked him in a small, dark room.
Li Fan remained cooperative throughout.
The room was sealed off from the outside world; there was no way to know what was happening on Myriad Immortals Island. Li Fan simply closed his eyes and began to cultivate.
Meanwhile, on Tai'an Island...
The avatar “Zhou Qing'ang” slipped quietly through the island protection array and made his way to the meeting place agreed upon with the stone-face.
"Boss, something major has happened!" Li Fan seized the initiative before the other side could even send a query.
"Huh... What's the panic? Speak slowly," the face chided.
"Myriad Immortals Island seems to have had a major incident. We've completely lost contact with the cultivators on the island just a short while ago!" Li Fan's tone was anxious, edged with a hint of excitement.
"And before I came here, I made some inquiries. Before the island was sealed, someone saw a rainbow light streaking from the Myriad Immortals Alliance's central region across the provinces and descending upon Myriad Immortals Island. This lockdown is definitely connected to that light!"
The stone-face was stunned by the sudden news. It fell silent for a long moment, as though verifying the information's accuracy.
"It's actually true," it said at last, with a note of astonishment. "What is the Myriad Immortals Alliance up to?! Wait... that rainbow light...
"Lu Xichan!"
The face's voice jumped several pitches.
"Boss, who is Lu Xichan?" Li Fan immediately feigned intense curiosity.
"The Chief of the Myriad Immortals Alliance's Strategy Array Hall. A truly formidable figure. Why would she come to the Congyun Sea?" The face's voice held equal parts confusion and excitement.
Like a starving wolf catching the scent of prey, it had already sensed that this incident concealed some earth-shattering secret, and that if it could be uncovered...
"Boss, is this not a perfect opportunity for us to distinguish ourselves and earn great merit?" Li Fan played along.
"Exactly! We must find out why she has come to the Congyun Sea," the face said gravely.
"But Myriad Immortals Island seems to allow only entry, not exit, and all communications are blocked. Getting any information out of there will be extremely difficult..." Li Fan frowned, as if troubled.
Then his expression brightened, as though something had just occurred to him. "Boss, I have a half-formed idea."
"Oh? Let's hear it."
"Remember He Zhenghao, the one who sold us the Myriad Immortals Alliance's entrance exam questions last time? He might have a way."
"He Zhenghao..." The face considered for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "Try approaching him first. I'll look into other avenues as well. If you find anything, contact me again. If he has nothing, go back into hiding."
"Understood."
As the light on the broken stone faded, Li Fan swiftly departed.
He went to Liuli Island, shared a cup of tea with He Zhenghao, and returned just as quickly.
"Boss, we've got a lead!"
The face hadn't expected "Zhou Qing'ang" to work so efficiently, nor had it imagined that He Zhenghao would have information about the currently blockaded Myriad Immortals Island.
"What did he say?" it asked, voice low.
Li Fan hesitated for a moment, then spoke quietly. "Ten million contribution points. Non-negotiable."