On the Spirit Boats.
The Immortal Suppression Department had arrived with three hundred cultivators.
All had come from the Imperial Capital, or were experts invited from major sects and Immortal Clans along the way.
"Is this the headquarters of the Grand Tower? What a bunch of rats."
Zhao Guang swept his sword-fingers across his eyes.
Gazing downward, he saw that beneath the "Noble Spirit Sect" there was a Spiritual formation; a massive Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land was hidden within it.
Yet, amidst his investigation, he let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
"Amitabha."
Holy Monk Yidian was standing right beside Zhao Guang.
Seeing the odd expression on Zhao Guang's face, he asked, "Commander Zhao, did you discover something?"
"It is nothing. It is simply that the Grand Tower has hidden itself deeply."
Zhao Guang smiled faintly and cast a subtle glance toward the distance.
Through his Body Integration Spiritual power, he had long since perceived a black-robed figure concealed within the distant cloud layers.
The man had the appearance of a youth and was dressed in long robes.
He possessed a cultivation base at the Early Void Refining Realm, yet the aura radiating from him was truly boundless.
However, seeing the spirit tablet hanging at the man's waist, Zhao Guang felt it was inappropriate to comment.
He was, however, secretly alarmed.
"So, the destruction of those three hundred-plus cultivators from Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems and the Grand Tower really was the handiwork of the Li clan!
Rumors outside claim that the Li clan only has Li Dalong and Li Yaozu at the Void Refining Realm. This Azure Cloud Li clan has truly hidden themselves deeply.
This person carries a Li family spirit tablet, yet who exactly is he? My Immortal Suppression Department possesses not a shred of intelligence on him!"
Lost in these thoughts, Zhao Guang's expression suddenly changed.
Suddenly, Holy Monk Yidian soared into the air.
A Buddha Dharma Body, 3 kilometers high, manifested within the clouds, causing the cultivators of the Noble Spirit Sect on the ground to look up in shock and awe, as if they were beholding the Buddha himself.
Holy Monk Yidian's majestic voice resounded through the skies.
"Amitabha. Disperse, all of you. Do not throw your lives away in vain."
"You reckless bald donkey!"
Witnessing the full release of that Body Integration pressure, Zhao Guang's expression turned incredibly unsightly.
He finally understood just how helpless Qi Wunian and the subordinates of the Immortal Suppression Department must have felt during the battle at Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
Even though they had located the Grand Tower's headquarters, they still knew nothing of the situation inside—how many experts were hidden there, or what traps lay in wait.
They hadn't even had time to set up their own containment formations yet!
Zhao Guang had clearly prepared to secretly dispatch his subordinates to summon all cultivators above the Golden Core Realm in the Goldflow Prefecture to come forth and suppress the Grand Tower with a grand formation.
He never imagined that Holy Monk Yidian would expose them in an instant.
Were it not for the fact that he understood the Holy Monk's temperament, Zhao Guang would have surely taken him for a spy.
Now, he had no choice but to act.
Zhao Guang took a deep breath and unleashed his full Body Integration Spiritual power.
Waiting until the cultivators of the Noble Spirit Sect had scattered, nine Vermilion Birds cried out in the heavens and bombarded the sect below, intending to break the formation with brute force!
However.
Whether it was Zhao Guang, Holy Monk Yidian, or Su Chen hidden in the clouds, everyone's expression changed.
The grand formation opened far more easily than they had imagined!
They entered a Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land, but there... There was no one!
There was only a void, resembling the empty dimension inside a Storage Ring, within which floated a severed head resting inside a brocade box.
"How is this possible?"
Inside Zhao Guang's Spirit Boat, Li Chang'an was seated, sipping tea.
Upon sensing the anomaly within the Grand Tower, the hand holding his teacup paused in mid-air.
Whether it was Su Chen, the Hall of Heavenly Principles, or the Immortal Suppression Department, they had all been searching for the Grand Tower's headquarters for years.
Even just a few days ago, cultivators from the Grand Tower were seen coming and going from this Noble Spirit Sect; in fact, major factions from all directions had been secretly probing this location.
If the Grand Tower had intended to flee, they should not have been able to escape everyone's watchful eyes.
"No, that's not right. The cultivators who were just driven away by Holy Monk Yidian..."
Li Chang'an narrowed his eyes slightly.
Sure enough, high in the clouds, Zhao Guang had also sensed that something was amiss and sent men to search for the cultivators of the Noble Spirit Sect who had just fled.
"Reporting to the Commander... the people... they have already fled. Their means of concealing their aura is extraordinary.
We do not know what secret technique they used, but they can no longer be found."
"..."
Zhao Guang remained silent for a moment. Holy Monk Yidian was also gone.
The truth was now staring them in the face.
"Damn you, Min Tiange! Damn you, Grand Tower! And damn you, Holy Monk Yidian!"
In this brief span of time, the only conclusion Zhao Guang could reach was that Holy Monk Yidian was also one of the Grand Tower's people.
That scoundrel had hidden himself deeply. Therefore, the Grand Tower had known the situation well in advance and seized this opportunity to flee!
Inside the Spirit Boat.
Li Chang'an's thoughts ran deeper.
"But if that is the case, why didn't the Grand Tower flee earlier?
Min Tiange abandoned them; this matter could only be considered closed if the Grand Tower's headquarters were destroyed.
Moreover, for Min Tiange, Holy Monk Yidian held an important position within the Immortal Suppression Department and could serve as a trump card.
To use him up like this—isn't that picking up a sesame seed only to lose a watermelon? And why leave behind the head of the Three Corpses?"
"Since Holy Monk Yidian is a member of the Grand Tower, could it be that he does not carry a Dao Seed?
Min Tiange would not let these people live if they dared to flee, so where do they get the courage? Unless... they possess a method to extract the Dao Seed."
Doubts—Li Chang'an's heart was filled with a myriad of doubts!
Yet, seeing the severed head within that spatial void, Li Chang'an had no time to dwell on them.
The Three Corpses—they were determined to secure them!
The Ancestor Spirit Tablet emitted a black mist.
Li Chang'an hurriedly rose to his feet. "Greetings, Old Ancestor!"
Black mist surged forth, and the surrounding space began to ripple.
Li Chang'an looked out from the Spirit Boat, only to hear shouts erupting.
"What is that thing?!"
"Bad news! It's the Laws of Space! Someone is snatching the Three Corpses!"
"Commander Zhao!"
.......
Amidst the clouds and void.
There stood magnificent jade towers and vermilion pavilions, appearing completely otherworldly. Numerous powerful cultivators were flying amongst them.
Inside the central grand hall, a youth dressed in a purple Daoist robe sat cross-legged.
He was strikingly handsome, his entire being radiating an air of nobility.
Suddenly.
A golden light flashed from his chest, causing him to snap his eyes open.
Beneath the golden glow shimmering in his eyes, his gaze focused inward, observing a Golden Seed located at his heart—it had developed a crack!
"Damn you, Holy Monk Yidian!"
Min Tiange let out a cold snort.
Spiritual power surged from his body, and in an instant, the cracks on the Golden Seed began to gradually heal.
Extending from that Golden Seed was a dense web of golden threads, stretching out from the grand hall in all directions.
However, hundreds of these threads had completely severed their connection, causing Min Tiange to narrow his eyes slightly.
"Good, very good. You removed my Dao Seed. For the rest of this life, you had best hide like a snake or a rat; otherwise, I will surely take your life!"
Min Tiange took a deep breath and channeled his Spiritual power to guard the Dao Seed.
This Dao Seed, obtained from Azure Mist Mountain, had been his method for controlling his subordinates for these past sixty thousand years.
Yet, Holy Monk Yidian had somehow used an unknown method to exploit a loophole in such a short time.
Now, he had no choice but to be extremely vigilant.
"However, the objective has essentially been achieved. With the matters of Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems and the Grand Tower concluded, that fellow Wu Neng will assume he has severed my fangs and claws. From now on, his vigilance against me will be somewhat lessened."
As he spoke, Min Tiange frowned slightly, watching as a paper kite flew over from the distance and landed in front of him.
"Father seeks a meeting with me?"
Min Tiange's expression grew complex.
"How can a great man be content to live beneath others? As for the Heavenly Mandate of this Imperial Dynasty—if the Zishu Clan can hold it, why can't my Min Clan hold it as well? Why is it that you simply cannot understand this truth?"
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