Chapter 1807: Being Rejected as a Disciple

To call this process "intense" would be an understatement.

However, Zhu Danyang's perception had long been refined by He Lingchuan. Although the attackers were struggling and the defenders fought with all their might, with earth-shattering cries and magical spells flying everywhere, in reality—

Very few had actually died in battle—only dozens so far, from both sides combined.

It was clear that this grand battle was merely a spectacle.

Every command He Lingchuan issued held profound meaning and was meticulously planned, yet the front line had failed to advance. Xiao Wencheng was at a loss; He Lingchuan was the true master of command, and battle, after all, was no child's play where one could do as they pleased.

Upon hearing Zhu Danyang's words, He Lingchuan looked up, glanced at her, and smiled faintly.

Seeing his expression, Zhu Danyang realized her hunch was correct: this fellow was intentionally suppressing the pace while commanding the Illusion Sect forces.

Was he buying time?

As if to answer her unvoiced question, He Lingchuan said to Xiao Wencheng, "Sect Master Xiao, why do I have the feeling that neither the Immortal Venerable nor Miaozhantian are fighting with their full power?"

"Oh?" Xiao Wencheng countered, "What makes you say that?"

"Only one of the Immortal Venerable's dharma forms has appeared," He Lingchuan said, while still managing to observe such details amidst the chaotic battle. "Only the Yin Kui dharma form is engaged."

The Yin Kui dharma form hadn't directly joined the main battle; instead, it had found a meteorite crater and was busy neutralizing meteorites there.

The Divine Fire Array was already missing two of its key supports, and one of those meteorites had been removed by the Yin Kui dharma form.

It was inconceivable that a true immortal as enigmatic as True Immortal Qianhuan would possess only a single external dharma form.

"And Miaozhantian hasn't even released a single clone, which makes no sense." True Monarch Cangxi was currently meditating on Indomitable Ridge, engaged in a battle of rules with True Immortal Qianhuan.

He didn't believe these two powerful beings had no reserve energy for other actions.

"The Immortal Venerable only needs to release one more dharma form to overturn Indomitable Ridge, and the Illusion Sect army wouldn't have to struggle there for so long."

There were two ways to determine the victor in the battle between Qianhuan and Miaozhantian:

One was to win fairly and squarely in a battle of principles;

The other method was to physically annihilate the opponent's true body.

Success in either method would count as a victory.

Before Xiao Wencheng could reply, True Immortal Qianhuan's voice echoed in their ears: "Do you believe Miaozhantian would entrust her safety entirely to a motley army?"

"Do you mean...?" He Lingchuan mused for a moment, a look of realization dawning on his face. "Miaozhantian has a contingency plan at Indomitable Ridge?"

"If I attack, she will certainly defend herself," Qianhuan stated coldly. "Unlike me, her true body is openly exposed, making her extremely vulnerable. She intends to lure me into making a move quickly."

Even now, the Illusion Sect maintained its advantage on the battlefield. Miaozhantian's current inaction, like a sword half-drawn from its scabbard, posed the greatest threat to the enemy. This also kept Miaozhantian on edge, forcing her to hold back reserves for potential escalation in every engagement.

If she were to finally make a move, Miaozhantian's anxious heart would settle, allowing her to feel more secure and commit fully.

This subtlety was difficult to comprehend without extensive personal combat experience.

Zhu Danyang understood it in an instant, scratching her large, orb-like eye.

So, He Lingchuan had been reluctant to send the Illusion Sect into a swift offensive, fearing they would fall into Miaozhantian's trap and become Qianhuan's cannon fodder.

The same logic applied to their own trio, who had consistently refrained from entering the fray themselves.

He had been doing his best to protect his companions, though he would never voice it.

At that moment, another light point extinguished on the sand table:

One more support of the Divine Fire Array had been neutralized by the Yin Kui dharma form.

This was what He Lingchuan meant by "the advantage is with us." Miaozhantian's demon minions were, after all, limited in number, making it difficult for them to prevent Qianhuan from dismantling the array supports; they were simply spread too thin.

If they didn't adapt quickly, the Divine Fire Array might truly be dismantled by True Immortal Qianhuan in the end.

Dong Rui couldn't help but ask, "Does Miaozhantian still have any chance of turning the tide?"

"Yes," He Lingchuan replied without hesitation. "Aside from protecting her true body, there is only one way for her to achieve victory quickly—"

"By finding True Immortal Qianhuan's true body!"

"Then she will be wasting her efforts." True Immortal Qianhuan chuckled, his low laughter echoing off the stone walls. "She has misjudged me."

This implied that True Immortal Qianhuan was certain Miaozhantian would not find his true body, even if she possessed the Eye of Truth and the ability to perceive illusions.

But what did he mean by saying Miaozhantian had misjudged him?

Was there some information asymmetry between him and Miaozhantian? He Lingchuan pondered as he spoke: "Miaozhantian dared to enter the Upside-Down Sea this time precisely because she came prepared; she must have considered various contingencies, such as finding herself at a disadvantage in battle."

Judging from the several powerful moves Miaozhantian had unleashed, her hidden trump cards were certainly not yet exhausted.

This was likely also why True Immortal Qianhuan remained exceptionally cautious, refraining from launching a full-scale assault.

He intended to deplete Miaozhantian's divine power, slowly grinding her down.

This was the least costly path to victory.

However, Miaozhantian would certainly not sit idly by and wait for defeat. She had made it clear in both worlds that whenever she found herself at a disadvantage, she would resort to aggressive and violent measures to disrupt the established order.

And this tactic had proven quite effective.

Now, Miaozhantian was subtly starting to fall behind once more. "So, what other ways does she have to turn the situation around?"

Just then, Elder Liu, stationed in another meteorite crater, suddenly sent a message: "The ritual artifact bestowed by the Immortal Venerable is almost depleted."

The ritual artifact Qianhuan had bestowed upon them was actually a manifestation of his own power. It could be combined with the elders' immortal power to deliver a fatal blow to the divine fire meteorites when the opportunity arose.

But the divine fire meteorites were being constantly reinforced by Miaozhantian, rendering the ritual artifact in Elder Liu's hand somewhat insufficient.

It was an empty millstone. After Elder Liu activated it with his own power, its volume magnified hundreds of times, automatically wedging itself beneath the meteorite to hinder its rotation.

As a result, the millstone was ground to such an extent that sparks flew everywhere, and the stone slurry it produced was powerful enough to extinguish golden light.

While the meteorite's rotation indeed slowed, the millstone itself was being worn away at a much quicker pace.

In fifty more breaths, it would be completely worn out.

Elder Liu, unable to disengage, sought help from the sect.

Xiao Wencheng glanced back at the offering table, seeing a duster faintly glowing blue resting beside it. He then instructed the lamp-guarding disciple, "You! Take this duster to Junior Brother Liu!"

The lamp-guarding disciple assented, respectfully took the duster from the offering table, held it in his arms, and rushed to the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, plunging straight into it.

The mirror's surface rippled.

Then, the lamp-guarding disciple was repelled.

This sight drew everyone's attention.

Ever since He Lingchuan had lent out the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, the Illusion Sect disciples had used it with perfect smoothness, no different from before.

How could such a glitch occur when it was the lamp-guarding disciple's turn to enter?

The last time the Haoyuan Golden Mirror malfunctioned, it merely transported He Lingchuan to Waist Lake, without directly rejecting him.

The lamp-guarding disciple, stubbornly defiant, steadied himself and charged into the mirror again, his movements even more desperate than before.

With a thud, he was repelled by the Haoyuan Golden Mirror once more!

Due to the force of his charge, the mirror's repulsion was equally powerful, flinging him back five large steps.

Xiao Wencheng's expression, as he looked at the lamp-guarding disciple, immediately shifted: "What is going on?"

The lamp-guarding disciple mumbled, "I... I don't know either."

Dong Rui, standing nearby, also noticed that while his movements were frantic, his face was stiff and his tone flat, completely incongruous with the urgent situation.

He Lingchuan was even more direct: "He is not a disciple of the Illusion Sect!"

The Haoyuan Golden Mirror was configured for use by He Lingchuan's group and all Illusion Sect disciples. This disciple's rejection meant the mirror had determined he was not an Illusion Sect member and lacked authorization to pass!

No sooner had He Lingchuan spoken than the lamp-guarding disciple abruptly spun around and lunged at the sand table.

The sand table was not far from the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, and his speed was such that he reached it in an instant.

If he could jump into the sand table, he could escape the secret chamber.

None of He Lingchuan's trio made a move; this chamber had a master.

Indeed, just as the lamp-guarding attendant was about to crash into the sand table, its light barrier flashed with a trace of blue.

With a resounding thud, his impact with the sand table sounded as if he had crashed into an impenetrable wall of copper and iron. The sand table didn't budge, but he ended up with a bleeding forehead.

The lamp-guarding attendant seemed oblivious to the pain and attempted to turn, but his feet were stuck in the ground, rendering him completely immobile.

He looked down and saw that his feet, up to his ankles, were somehow submerged underground, truly bogged down.

"Struggling is useless," Xiao Wencheng said. He raised his wrist, and the duster appeared in his hand. "What does Miaozhantian want you to do?"

He carefully scrutinized the lamp-guarding attendant, noticing his eyelids suddenly blinking rapidly and his eyes rolling upward. Xiao Wencheng then walked behind the attendant, picked up the duster, and swished it once—

The attendant's clothes on his back were instantly brushed away.

His back appeared clean, with nothing there.

But Zhu Danyang suddenly exclaimed, "There's a hole outside his cervical spine! That thing was originally attached to the back of his neck, but now it has burrowed into his skull!"

Xiao Wencheng struck with a flick of his duster.

Despite its soft, fine bristles, in his hand it was harder than a longsword. With that single flick, half of the lamp-guarding disciple's head was severed!

The body collapsed, scattering red and white matter.

Xiao Wencheng's gaze was piercing as he extracted something from the deceased's brain:

It was a small worm, the length of a pinky finger, resembling a scorpion, but its tail wasn't a stinger; instead, it had several long, thin tendrils.

"Brain-Devouring Fiend!"

They had encountered this creature once before on Stone Dragon Peak.

Xiao Wencheng frowned: "My attendant never left the group after we crossed Waist Lake; how could he have been afflicted?"

Zhu Danyang interjected, "That must have happened before we crossed the lake. They captured the lamp-guarding attendant, implanted the Brain-Devouring Fiend in him, and then released him."

The Illusion Sect's retreat plan, to put it mildly, had been executed somewhat chaotically. Zhu Danyang shook her head just thinking about it.

After the Illusion Sect's main force entered the lake, the remaining members were routed and pursued by the Heavenly Palace army. Many disciples were captured; wouldn't it have been easy for the Heavenly Palace to tamper with them then?

This Brain-Devouring Fiend had a deeper cultivation and was harder to detect than the previous one. Even the corpse it controlled showed no muscle slackness or dilated pupils, nor did it emit the stench of decay. Moreover, it had consistently kept its distance, rarely entering anyone's direct line of sight, thus successfully deceiving everyone present.

Had it not been for the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, there's no telling how long it would have remained hidden here.