Two voices cried out simultaneously, echoing before the grand Taiyi Hall.
"Impossible! How could you possibly have survived that cursed place?" They spoke in unison, their faces masks of utter disbelief.
Before the forest of swords, Li Fan stood with his arms crossed, watching the pale-faced Sikong Yi and Baili Chen. He offered only a cold smirk in reply.
Then, he placed one foot upon a sword hilt, as if preparing to give chase.
A sword phantom stabbed through him, immediately bringing an intense pain that felt as if it were drilling into his very heart.
Li Fan nearly lost control of his body, almost tumbling from his perch.
Falling from the sword hilts wouldn't kill him; it would simply teleport him back to the very edge of the sword forest, forcing him to start over.
Of course, if anyone were foolish enough to fly over the sword forest, thinking they could bypass it, then they would learn firsthand the true meaning of being pierced by ten thousand swords.
This was the sword forest Trial one had to go through before reaching Taiyi Hall.
Unlike other areas of Cloudwater Palace, this place held no mortal danger unless one willfully sought it.
At worst, one would experience the sensation of being pierced through the heart by one sword after another.
In his past life, many cultivators had gritted their teeth, endured the agonizing pain, traversed the sword forest, and entered Taiyi Hall.
However, the great hall was empty. There was nothing inside!
Could Sikong Yi have taken the treasure that lay in Taiyi Hall from the very beginning?
Is the opportunity within Taiyi Hall actually the Cloudwater Model?
Although he could use his Insect Binding divine ability to subdue the two of them right now, he couldn't guarantee he could force them to reveal how exactly the Cloudwater Model was obtained.
From what Li Fan knew, vicious soul-searching techniques that could forcibly extract a cultivator's memories existed in the ancient cultivation world.
Unfortunately, Li Fan had not yet learned such a method.
Therefore, to be safe, it was better to wait for these two to retrieve the Cloudwater Model first.
As Li Fan pondered this, the Blue Flame phantom spirit flickered to life within his sea of consciousness.
His body temperature gradually dropped, and he felt himself turn completely calm and rational.
No external influence could disturb his mental state.
He stepped forward, planting his foot on another sword hilt.
Though he could still feel the pain, Li Fan feared nothing.
He took several steps forward in succession, then stopped, pretending to rest so as not to overly alarm Sikong Yi and his companion.
Sikong Yi and Baili Chen were already greatly shocked that Li Fan hadn't died.
Now, seeing Li Fan drawing closer and closer to them, their shock began to morph into urgency.
Gritting their teeth, they hardened their resolve and fiercely pushed forward several steps.
The pain inflicted by four sharp swords striking simultaneously wasn't additive. Instead, the agony multiplied severalfold in an instant, making it almost impossible for the two to maintain their balance.
Fortunately, the moment they were about to fall, they supported each other and just barely managed to stabilize themselves.
Seeing this, Li Fan also advanced three steps, then once again adopted the appearance of someone struggling to maintain his footing.
The “chase” continued in this manner.
Li Fan always maintained a certain distance from the two to lower their guard. At the same time, he appeared determined to catch up, applying constant pressure on them.
Like prey driven by hounds, Sikong Yi and Baili Chen moved step by step, drawing closer and closer to Taiyi Hall.
Finally, they reached the end of the sword forest.
Leaping from the sword hilts, they collapsed to the ground, completely spent.
But with Li Fan closing in relentlessly from behind, they had no time to rest.
Baili Chen urgently drew a blue token from his robes and shouted in the direction of Taiyi Hall.
"I am Baili Chen from the 165th generation of Cloudwater Palace’s direct disciples. I seek an audience with Patriarch Taiyi!"
His voice echoed through the air.
Li Fan abruptly halted his advance, his gaze fixed intently ahead.
The majestic Taiyi Hall seemed to come alive, trembling violently as it slowly rose into the air.
The ground beneath their feet began to shake.
Thud!
Thud!
Four pillar-like legs extended from beneath Taiyi Hall, slamming forcefully onto the earth.
A monstrous head emerged like a phantom manifestation, appearing before Li Fan’s eyes.
The broken swords in the sword forest trembled incessantly.
Accompanied by an unearthly bellow, an enormous turtle revealed itself in full, with Taiyi Hall resting upon its shell.
As the giant turtle continued its roars, two massive black snakes slithered out from the hall.