Chapter 1941: Outrage and Betrayal

He Lingchuan put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Immortal Qianhuan resolved to eliminate this scourge from the world. So, while Miaozhantian was trapped in the Sea of Consciousness, he chose to self-detonate his soul, aiming for mutual destruction."

Fang Canran felt something was off. He instinctively urged, "And then? Wait, if Immortal Qianhuan perished with Miaozhantian, why do you, why does all of Shanjing, say that the Dragon God killed Miaozhantian?"

Isn't that claiming credit for another's great deed? Based on his understanding of He Lingchuan, that shouldn't be the case.

He Lingchuan always handled matters clearly and impeccably. How could he leave such a significant flaw?

"Because Immortal Qianhuan's self-sacrifice and self-detonation didn't actually kill Miaozhantian. It was just shy of success!" He Lingchuan sighed with emotion. "To fulfill Immortal Qianhuan and Master Xiao's sacrifice for righteousness, I delivered the final blow to Miaozhantian."

He was the one who personally brought about the end of the formidable Great Celestial God.

"Master Xiao?"

"Xiao Wencheng, the Sect Master of the Illusion Sect."

"I've heard of him; he was a renowned immortal from ancient times as well." Fang Canran took a few deep breaths of true qi to calm himself. "It sounds quite thrilling. But, Brother He, do you have any proof of what you're saying?"

"Of course." He Lingchuan waved his hand, summoning the Haoyuan Golden Mirror.

In the Upside-Down Sea minor world, this treasured mirror had connected with the fundamental laws, transforming into a portal allowing him and the Illusion Sect free passage. However, that was a completely enclosed and unique environment, with exceptionally abundant spiritual energy. After leaving the Upside-Down Sea, the Haoyuan Golden Mirror was no longer so miraculous.

However, it had been tamed by the Great Square Pot and had recognized He Lingchuan as its master, so it could still make an appearance.

Fang Canran blurted out, "The Haoyuan Golden Mirror!"

This famous mirror appeared in many ancient legends.

"This is a supreme treasure Immortal Qianhuan gifted me before his demise." He Lingchuan reached out and brushed his hand over the mirror's surface. "It faithfully recorded many images from within the Upside-Down Sea. Please, Brother Fang, take a look."

Ripples spread across the mirror's surface.

When the ripples disappeared, an image appeared.

What the Haoyuan Golden Mirror displayed for Fang Canran was the battle between Qianhuan and Miaozhantian within the Illusion Immortal's Sea of Consciousness—or, more precisely, their confrontation within the Isolated Dragon City formed by the Great Divination Heavenly Pearl.

Fang Canran watched with intense concentration.

A battle of this magnitude was something ordinary cultivators would not witness even in ten lifetimes. Furthermore, the dialogue between Qianhuan and Miaozhantian during the battle was highly worth pondering.

"This location—" Fang Canran pointed at the city in the mirror, "—is Dragon City?"

His tone was somewhat complex.

The footage captured by the Haoyuan Golden Mirror was astonishing, not only showing the final confrontation between two peerless powerhouses but also revealing Dragon City!

This name had been forgotten by the world, but not by Fang Canran. This grand city, lost to history, was closely connected to his ancestors.

"To be precise, it's the Isolated Dragon City formed by the Great Divination Heavenly Pearl."

Fang Canran's expression grew increasingly solemn as he listened to Miaozhantian and Qianhuan's conversation about Dragon City.

"Dragon City was betrayed by you back then, leading to its demise. No wonder the Dragon God always disdained Lingshan."

Miaozhantian's words were like a thunderclap, making Fang Canran suddenly rise to his feet.

Clatter. The chopsticks on the table were knocked over by him, but he didn't notice, his eyes fixed on the image in the mirror.

He Lingchuan had been equally shocked when he first heard this conversation, especially at the mentions of "the Ke family," "the Great Square Pot lid," "the excavated mirage pearl," and "the transactions between Lingshan and the Celestial Gods." Therefore, he could understand Fang Canran's state of mind at that moment.

Four words to describe it:

A massive upheaval.

Fang Canran held his breath for a very long time; even a cultivator should have needed to breathe by then.

He Lingchuan asked, concerned, "Brother Fang, are you alright?"

Fang Canran seemed not to hear, standing stiffly like a wooden figure.

He Lingchuan noticed his gaze was unfocused, not staring at the mirror's image. So, he lightly swiped with his index and middle fingers, stopping the Haoyuan Golden Mirror.

With a flicker of light, the Isolated City vanished, and only Fang Canran's reflection remained in the mirror.

"What they said, is it all true?" Fang Canran's mind was still in turmoil; he felt as though he heard the sound of his beliefs crumbling.

He Lingchuan stated factually, "I can only guarantee that the images and sounds in the mirror are authentic."

That was a battle of life and death; why would Miaozhantian lie to Qianhuan? Especially when both sides knew the truth.

Lingshan had betrayed Dragon City.

Fang Canran slowly closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

His ancestor, Shao Jian, and Dragon City had both upheld King Yuan's beliefs and ultimately died for them, never betraying their vows from beginning to end.

But he, he had joined Lingshan and was now serving Lingshan, who had betrayed Dragon City!

Moreover, the conversation between Miaozhantian and Qianhuan clearly revealed that this wasn't the first time Lingshan and the Celestial Gods had cooperated, nor was it the first time Lingshan had betrayed others. Whom else had they conspired against before?

For many years, as a descendant of the Yuan Kingdom, Fang Canran had been deeply investigating the old affairs concerning the Yuan Kingdom and knew that one of the causes of its demise was the Great Square Pot.

The Yuan Kingdom's uprising had several inexplicable points from start to finish. If Lingshan had also intervened...

Fang Canran had always known Lingshan was disappointing and was frustrated by its shortcomings, but he never imagined...

Hmph, Lingshan had deceived him.

He Lingchuan watched him silently, his gaze deep. Fang Canran's reaction was indeed as he had expected.

Fang Canran took several more deep breaths before looking at He Lingchuan. "Since Qianhuan mentioned the Great Square Pot lid, after Dragon City's destruction, that lid was taken into the Star-Picking Pagoda in the Heavenly Palace, and then later stolen by you, Brother He, wasn't it?"

The Heavenly Palace incident back then had been orchestrated by He Lingchuan, but in the end, Lingshan had claimed responsibility for it with a grand display. Amusingly, Lingshan had no idea what treasure He Lingchuan had stolen from the Star-Picking Pagoda at the time, as very few knew the details. It took a long time for Lingshan to finally inquire and understand.

He Lingchuan nodded, effectively bringing closure to this unresolved matter.

He also noticed that the corners of Fang Canran's eyes were a little red.

These weren't traces of tears; it was blood rushing to his head.

"So, the Great Square Pot is indeed in your possession?" Otherwise, what good would it do for He Xiaoguang to steal just a lid?

As soon as the word "indeed" was uttered, He Lingchuan understood: Lingshan had made such a guess.

But Lingshan didn't come to seize it, because they had long known that the Great Square Pot would not allow itself to fall into the hands of immortals.

They simply observed He Lingchuan in silence and then assigned him a task in the Upside-Down Sea, intending for Qianhuan to extract information from him.

"No, the Great Square Pot is still in Dragon Desert." He Lingchuan looked at the osmanthus flowers by the pavilion. "I wonder if that desert has already turned into grasslands."

He hadn't returned there in a long time.

The season of raging sandstorms in Dragon Desert had disappeared, and with the recent surges of spiritual energy, Dragon Desert should now have lakes, water, flowers, and grass, shouldn't it?

He knew that one hundred and fifty to sixty years ago, it had been a thriving area. Every time He Lingchuan inspected the wilderness, moist winds blew on both sides of the road, and there were undulating waves of wheat.