Chapter 1837: Grabbing He Xiao

In the sea of consciousness, Qianhuan, having recovered three strands of her soul clone, held a clear advantage over the weary Miaozhantian in terms of soul power. Therefore, Miaozhantian and the Heavenly Palace were still largely at a disadvantage.

Once the Shadow Dragon, the greatest variable within Lone City, was eliminated, Qianhuan would invariably turn her attention back to Miaozhantian, as was her usual practice. At that point, Miaozhantian's chances of victory would remain slim, and the hope of escaping the Upside-Down Sea would still be faint. From this perspective, Miaozhantian would gain nothing by expending effort to help eliminate the Shadow Dragon.

"If you stand by, there are likely two outcomes," Bai Ziqi said. "Either Qianhuan eliminates the Grey Dragon, in which case she will be utterly depleted and severely overextended, making it much easier for you to deal with her than it is now." (If the Grey Dragon were that easily vanquished, what had Qianhuan been doing for the past sixty years?) "Alternatively, the Grey Dragon might defeat Qianhuan. You mentioned it's already heavily wounded; by then, it would be even more battered, making it easier for you to confront it," Bai Ziqi reasoned swiftly. "If you then eliminate He Xiao, you will achieve ultimate victory, and all clues—whether to True Immortal Qianhuan, the Great Evolution Heavenly Pearl, or the Great Square Pot—will be yours!"

Regardless of the outcome, Miaozhantian would face a final battle; the only difference was whether her opponent would be Qianhuan or He Xiao. Why was the Great Square Pot not considered an opponent? This was because the Great Square Pot never had, and never would, engage in direct combat with anyone; it always operated in the mortal realm through human proxies.

Who would be the opponent: Qianhuan or He Xiao? It was a choice between two. These two were clearly not in the same league, and Miaozhantian would, of course, not choose the ancient True Immortal as her adversary! Therefore, Bai Ziqi's words deeply resonated with her, and Miaozhantian immediately made a decision: she not only refrained from advancing but even took a few steps back, adopting an attitude of complete non-intervention.

This action infuriated Qianhuan, making her teeth itch with frustration. "How can a mighty Great Heavenly Demon be so short-sighted!" she fumed. Though she had indeed anticipated such an outcome.

"Have you forgotten?" Miaozhantian remarked with calm indifference, covertly activating her soul power to continue mending her injuries. "You are my true target!" Her venture into the Upside-Down Sea this time had not only depleted her entire fortune but also incurred significant debt; she simply could not afford to lose. Twice, Qianhuan maneuvered the Shadow Dragon close to Miaozhantian. Each time, Miaozhantian either cautiously evaded it or launched an attack against Qianhuan, clearly signaling her intent to wait for an opportune moment to exploit the situation. Whether the opportune target was the Shadow Dragon or Qianhuan, Miaozhantian remained firmly in her advantageous position.

Qianhuan had no other recourse but to turn back and confront the Shadow Dragon. Having been locked in a stalemate for sixty years, she was intimately familiar with the Shadow Dragon's attack patterns, even as the creature grew more ferocious. The Shadow Dragon was already heavily scarred, and its recent pursuit of Miaozhantian had only added many new wounds from the latter's counterattacks; a Great Heavenly Demon's assault was a severe blow even to the Shadow Dragon.

Qianhuan assessed that she could, despite her own injuries, subdue the Shadow Dragon. However, two issues complicated matters: first, Miaozhantian was lurking nearby, poised to take advantage of any weakness; second, He Xiao and his group were still at large. Only by capturing He Xiao could the Great Square Pot's blockade on Lone City's passage be lifted—a critical point for Qianhuan to turn the tide, secure victory, and confront Miaozhantian once more.

The area previously seized by Miaozhantian, now that the period of conflicting laws had concluded, had reverted to Qianhuan's control and could again be displayed on the sand table. At that moment, Xiao Wencheng, observing the sand table, indeed discovered He Xiao's whereabouts on the west bank of Kidney Lake. The Blood Demon had also stealthily moved into the vicinity. It had changed hosts once more, to the extent that even the Haoyuan Golden Mirror could barely pinpoint its location.

Qianhuan was delighted and immediately sent a telepathic message to Xiao Wencheng: "The Divine Fire Barrier is broken. Go to the bottom of the lake and retrieve the formation's core, the Iron Lotus Lamp."

True Monarch Shenxi's Iron Lotus Lamp, originally buried at the bottom of Kidney Lake as the core of the Divine Fire Grand Formation, had been protected by the array and was impossible for anyone to unearth. Now that the Divine Fire Barrier was shattered and True Monarch Shenxi had vanished, the Iron Lotus Lamp became visible.

Xiao Wencheng immediately flew into the lake, diving straight to the bottom. There, he indeed found the treasure still encased in crystal, though its radiance had dimmed considerably. True Monarch Shenxi would never have left such a supreme treasure behind if it hadn't been serving as the core of the barrier.

Xiao Wencheng first erected a water-repelling barrier to stand securely on the lakebed, then, following Qianhuan's instructions, proceeded to collect the Iron Lotus Lamp. He exerted considerable effort to subdue it, yet the process turned out to be smoother than anticipated. This was inherently a difficult task, but with Miaozhantian's divine soul having escaped into Qianhuan's sea of consciousness, True Monarch Shenxi's physical form was temporarily inactive and unable to effectively resist Xiao Wencheng's encroachment. Furthermore, Bai Ziqi's Heavenly Palace contingent was exhausted from constant flight and powerless to intervene. Thus, despite its reluctance, the Iron Lotus Lamp ultimately had no choice but to comply.

Next, Xiao Wencheng produced an eave bell and slowly rubbed it in his hands. As he rubbed, the object gradually diminished in size. Several flashes of blue light later, the eave bell transformed into a smooth, round blue pearl, the size of a pigeon's egg. With a solemn expression, Xiao Wencheng slowly inserted the blue pearl into the central aperture of the Iron Lotus Lamp. It fit perfectly, as if it had always been the central lotus seed embedded within the lamp.

Immediately, the surface of the Iron Lotus Lamp began to glow blue. The light was faint at first, with only a sporadic flash appearing after a long interval. Eventually, the blue light on the Iron Lotus Lamp's surface rippled like waves, creating a mesmerizing display. Xiao Wencheng understood that Qianhuan was exploring the Iron Lotus Lamp's functions, attempting to gain control over it. He felt a slight sense of relief. The Grandmaster still had enough reserves of power to dedicate herself to this task. This was excellent news!

A short while later, Qianhuan's telepathic message reached him again: "Alright, return it to the lakebed." Xiao Wencheng complied, placing the Iron Lotus Lamp back on the lakebed, fitting it perfectly into its original crystal casing. The moment he withdrew his hand, the Iron Lotus Lamp's surface erupted in a brilliant blue light that pierced straight into the sky!

The next second, several meteorites encircling Kidney Lake suddenly lifted off the ground and began to rotate. While the Illusion Sect had previously unearthed two, the remaining ones could still form a complete arrangement. However, this time, the flames emanating from their surfaces were not fiery red, but a deep, spectral blue!

"Attack!" Qianhuan commanded all the elders of the Illusion Sect. "Hunt down He Xiao! Show no mercy!"

The immortals, conjuring streaks of rainbow light, soared directly towards He Xiao's location. En route, Qianhuan revealed to them: "I have utilized Miaozhantian's array foundation to rebuild the barrier, which can temporarily block the Haoyuan Golden Mirror's penetration! For at least a quarter of an hour, the Great Square Pot will be unable to decipher the mechanism of this barrier, preventing He Xiao and his group from escaping with the Haoyuan Golden Mirror!"

She had integrated her latest insights into the modification of the Divine Fire Grand Formation. The resulting small barrier, though limited in scope, possessed fundamental mechanisms vastly different from those of the Upside-Down Sea. Even the Great Square Pot would require significant time to decipher its array. During this period, the Haoyuan Golden Mirror would be temporarily rendered ineffective, preventing He Xiao and his companions from using it to teleport. Otherwise, the Illusion Sect would be utterly unable to capture these elusive targets.

Ever since the Haoyuan Golden Mirror reconnected to the Upside-Down Sea's network of laws, Qianhuan, sensing a powerful, unseen force, had secretly begun devising countermeasures, calculating how to ultimately trap He Xiao. He abhorred situations spiraling beyond his control. Therefore, the first step was, naturally, to restrict the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, preventing He Xiao from fleeing across the world. The next step was to urge the Illusion Sect to eliminate He Xiao within the allotted time!

The Shadow Dragon's massive jaws were moments from clamping onto Jiaotu's neck when, in the next instant, the Haoyuan Golden Mirror's display abruptly cut out!

"Ah—" The Black Armored Army soldiers cried out, seething with indignation. They had been engrossed in the tense and fierce spectacle, and it had been cut off at the worst possible moment. Witnessing a True Immortal's battle was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.

He Lingchuan's expression changed. He reached out and patted the Haoyuan Golden Mirror. This was bad. Not only could the image of Panlong Lone City not be displayed, but when he attempted to locate Upside-Down Lake, the Haoyuan Golden Mirror returned a message: "Impossible!" Its connection to the Upside-Down Sea had been abruptly and forcibly severed.

The Haoyuan Golden Mirror's ability to integrate into the Upside-Down Sea's network of laws relied on the power of the Great Square Pot. He Lingchuan's assessment was that either the Haoyuan Golden Mirror's connection to the Great Square Pot had been severed, or its connection to the Upside-Down Sea's law network had been severed! However, regardless of the cause, within the entirety of the Upside-Down Sea miniature grotto-heaven, only True Immortal Qianhuan possessed the capability to achieve such a feat!

"Quickly! We cannot stay here any longer!" He Lingchuan made an immediate decision, ordering everyone to leave the lakeside. Miaozhantian was trapped in the sea of consciousness, and Bai Ziqi was leading his army in flight. What reason did Qianhuan have to interfere in the lower realm? She herself was fighting an incredibly difficult battle against the Shadow Dragon in Panlong Lone City, so why would she forcibly divert her attention to block the Haoyuan Golden Mirror?

There was only one plausible reason: She had discovered that He Lingchuan was interfering. Alternatively, she believed that if the Illusion Sect could capture or eliminate He Lingchuan, her difficult situation in Panlong Lone City would be alleviated.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately took to their heels. He Lingchuan retrieved a transparent lantern from his storage ring. With a casual puff of air, the lantern illuminated. While typical lanterns cast warm, yellowish-white light, this one emitted an eerie blue-green glow, appearing like ghostly will-o'-the-wisps from a distance.

"Stay close to me, and do not leave the illuminated area!" The moment He Lingchuan gave the command, everyone huddled together. Even Granny Zhu deliberately compressed her form, shrinking to the size of a dog.

He Lingchuan had followed the advice of the small mirage demon from the Yangshan Archipelago, grinding a small amount of powder from Qianhuan's mirage horn, which the demon then fashioned into a lamp wick. Though this lantern seemed unassuming, its practical functions were remarkable. For instance, it could render everyone invisible within Qianhuan's domain and make them disappear from Xiao Wencheng's sand table. Since it was crafted from Qianhuan's own mirage horn, its ability to achieve this was hardly surprising. In the small mirage demon's opinion, Concubine Mei's method of use was wasteful; a treasure belonging to an ancient Grand Mirage Immortal ought to be used frugally and efficiently, precisely in this manner.

After running for over three hundred *zhang*, He Lingchuan suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. The others halted as well, remaining utterly silent. Only the wind rustled through the forest. Just a few breaths later, several streaks of rainbow light swept across the sky above the forest. Dong Rui looked up and recognized them: They were Xiao Wencheng and the other immortals of the Illusion Sect. He Lingchuan and his companions were clearly standing below, holding the lantern, yet the immortals flew directly past them, seemingly oblivious.

Only after they had flown far off did He Lingchuan, still holding the lantern, continue forward. The others continued to follow closely. As he ran, He Lingchuan simultaneously adjusted the Haoyuan Golden Mirror to view its display. Although it was currently blocked, previous images could still be replayed.