Li Haoran had already made the determination to face death.
It was precisely because of this that Li Haoran, standing at the apex of the Kongshan Sect and holding absolute authority over all matters, chose to condone Huo Mu's actions.
In fact, Huo Mu's fixation on the Black Flood Dragon's physical body and soul was partly due to Li Haoran's deliberate guidance.
But these arrangements were still not enough.
Because Li Haoran's death could only offset the backlash of karma.
What was more important was how to conceal the workings of Heaven's Will.
Li Haoran was very clear that the method to conceal Heaven's Will was right there.
But everything he could perceive remained hazy and indistinct.
Until two years ago, when he learned that Kongyuan Mountain had established a new Chief Disciple.
The moment he first laid eyes on this Chief Disciple of Kongyuan Mountain, he immediately discovered that the hazy mist shrouding that single path to survival he had sought among the myriad threads of destiny instantly dissipated.
Li Haoran had found the only method to conceal Heaven's Will and sever karma.
This method required the sacrifice of only two people.
Chen Yan, and himself.
The Supreme Pivot Elder of the Kongshan Sect had no other choice.
But when Li Haoran made his resolution, this Dao Union Realm great power standing at the summit of the Chenping Continent felt an immense panic.
Because Chen Yan showed no Death Omen.
That's right, even though Li Haoran had decided to sacrifice Chen Yan, there was simply no Death Omen on Chen Yan's face.
Li Haoran could not understand why at all.
This was the second time Li Haoran felt his own incompetence and insignificance.
The first time was three thousand years ago, when he attempted to spy on the workings of Heaven's Will.
Feeling despair over this, Li Haoran chose to stake everything on one desperate gamble.
He burned five thousand years of his own lifespan to perform a deduction on that single thread of hope within the myriad destinies.
Li Haoran won his gamble.
When the Death Omen finally appeared on Chen Yan's face, Li Haoran was finally able to let go.
Now, Li Haoran's remaining lifespan was only three years.
But what did it matter?
Because he had long since made the determination to die thirty-three days from now.
...
Thirty-three days.
During these thirty-three days, Chen Yan never gave up hope, instead desperately searching for all kinds of intelligence and information to find a way to break the situation.
Chen Yan was not panicked.
Because he had already lost count of how many certain-death outcomes he had unraveled.
He just needed to gather enough information;
there would definitely be a solution.
For a cultivator, thirty-three days could be said to pass in the blink of an eye.
And today was the day the Outer Court Cataclysm would occur.
Currently, there was only half a shichen left before the Outer Court Cataclysm.
Chen Yan, still unhurried, sat in his residence, lightly closed his eyes, and meditated on all the intelligence he had gathered over these thirty-three days.
He had no intention of clearing this in one life.
Because he also knew that was impossible.
In Chen Yan's understanding, the danger level of the Outer Court Cataclysm was far more despair-inducing than any predicament he had encountered before.
Because this involved the concept of karma.
Although Chen Yan completely failed to understand such an abstract and profound concept, he only knew one thing—
The Outer Court Cataclysm would inevitably occur.
Chen Yan looked at the ring he was toying with in his hand, then the Shadow Binding Rope crawled out from his divine sense, winding around the ring and concealing it within his divine sense.
This was a new ability Chen Yan had mastered after becoming a Qi Sea Realm cultivator.
By completely covering a small item with the Shadow Binding Rope, he could hide it within his own divine sense.
Chen Yan was very clear about the importance of this ring.
The door was suddenly knocked from the outside.
"Who is it?"
Chen Yan asked aloud.
"The Imperial Law Court."
The person outside answered.
Chen Yan stood up from the bed and walked towards the door, opening it.
Standing outside the door were two Spirit Connection Realm cultivators wearing Kongshan Imperial Law Court tokens.
"Might I ask what business you two Seniors have?"
Chen Yan asked respectfully with a bow.
"Supreme Imperial Law Elder Huo requests that Chief Disciple Chen accompany the two of us for a trip."
One of the Spirit Connection Realm cultivators said.
So polite?
Chen Yan never expected that Huo Mu would actually send people to find him.
Because Huo Mu, being at the Divine Ability Realm, could easily kill him with just a single thought.
Including back with Grand Elder Qi, he had unceremoniously used methods Chen Yan completely didn't understand to pull him from the Kongyuan Hall to the outer court's Training Grounds.
The time for the Outer Court Cataclysm to occur was drawing closer and closer.
He had to collect as much information as possible.
Chen Yan thought this in his heart.
He also genuinely wanted to meet this mastermind who had been hiding behind the scenes, manipulating the Outer Court Cataclysm, the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm, and even the Kongshan Sect's destruction.
So Chen Yan bowed once more to the two cultivators at the door, then stepped out of his room.
Chen Yan followed these two Spirit Connection Realm cultivators from the Imperial Law Court, walking along the streets of Kongyuan Mountain towards the direction of the mountain gate.
"Hold on, you two."
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly came from the side.
Chen Yan looked towards the direction of the voice and discovered the white-haired old man standing there, wearing a Bagua Daoist robe, was none other than his own martial uncle, the current Kongshan Dignity Elder, Yue Chi.
"Elder Yue."
One of the Spirit Connection Realm cultivators beside Chen Yan bowed to Yue Chi.
Although the two of them were working for the Supreme Imperial Law Court, they were after all just ordinary Spirit Connection Realm cultivators;
in terms of status alone, they were still considerably lower than a Peak Elder.
"Might I ask what business you two have with my martial nephew?"
Yue Chi asked.
"Supreme Imperial Law Elder Huo has summoned Chief Disciple Chen to accompany us to the Imperial Law Court for a trip."
One of the Spirit Connection Realm cultivators replied.
"The Supreme Imperial Law Elder wants to see my martial nephew?"
Yue Chi raised his voice, seemingly wanting everyone nearby on the street to hear this information.
Several Kongyuan Mountain cultivators stopped and looked over towards Chen Yan's direction.
"...Yes."
One of the Spirit Connection Realm cultivators, a flash of impatience appeared in his eyes.
Yue Chi was doing this intentionally.
With his status, he naturally could not stop the Imperial Law Court from conducting its business.
But he wanted as many people as possible to know about Chen Yan being taken by the Imperial Law Court's people to see Huo Mu.
His purpose was to make the Imperial Law Court consider, at least somewhat, the consequences of public opinion within the sect.
If anything happened to Chen Yan, it would definitely be connected to the Imperial Law Court, or rather, to Huo Mu.
In fact, Yue Chi and Lin Qifeng had always believed that Chen Yan's disappearance for those few days on Yuanhua Mountain back then must have been related to the Imperial Law Court.
"I see, I see."
Yue Chi pretended to be oblivious, saying:
"Then I won't disturb you any further. Please proceed, you two."
The two Spirit Connection Realm cultivators paid no further attention to Yue Chi and just continued walking towards the mountain gate.
As Chen Yan passed by Yue Chi, he saw the flash of worry in Yue Chi's eyes.
Chen Yan just smiled at Yue Chi.
At this very moment, only the time it takes an incense stick to burn remained before the Outer Court Cataclysm would occur.