"Mm?"

Li Fan was slightly surprised as four cultivators suddenly appeared before him.

Ever since he started using the title of "Ancient Heavenly Mechanism Sect Cultivator" to stir up the world, Li Fan had been extra cautious and vigilant.

Whenever he went out, he would always use the secret technique "Shrouding Sky Palm" to hide his whereabouts.

The secret technique, which had once been able to block even the Tianxuan web's detection in his previous life, was truly extraordinary. Even in the vast Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, many cultivators desired to see Li Fan, yet none had succeeded.

But today, it seemed that a few uninvited guests had finally arrived.

"Who are you?" Li Fan asked, not expecting them to answer honestly, but merely trying to buy some time.

Sensing the aura emanating from the four black-clad cultivators, Li Fan felt slightly at ease. They were far weaker than Tianyang, likely at the Nascent Soul stage.

"What do you want with me?" Li Fan asked, feigning ignorance.

"You'll know soon enough!" one of them replied coldly. "Form the formation!"

They stood in four corners, and each shot a golden light from the magical tools in their hands. The golden lines twisted and turned in the air, swiftly forming a dazzling array around Li Fan.

It was like a massive golden bell, trapping Li Fan inside.

Li Fan's eyes shifted slightly, and he tried to escape, only to find that the surrounding space seemed frozen, making it impossible to break free.

"Seal!" the four shouted in unison.

The golden bell shrank rapidly, getting smaller and smaller. Its golden outline was on the verge of binding Li Fan completely.

"Splitting Light Dragon-Trapping Formation..."

Although trapped within the formation, Li Fan remained calm and composed. After several lifetimes of bitterly studying formations, he immediately recognized the formation that the four black-clad cultivators had deployed.

This was one of the top restraining arrays in the world today, typically cast by at least three cultivators working together. The more cultivators involved, the more powerful the formation. Capturing someone of a higher realm was no difficult feat with it.

Under normal circumstances, the combined strength of four Nascent Soul cultivators could easily capture even a Soul Transformation cultivator.

But...

Li Fan sneered inwardly. Though he couldn't move, dozens of "Great Five Elements Annihilation Swords" shot out from various parts of his body, unleashing destructive black light.

Sensing the terrifying aura emanating from the black light, the four black-clad cultivators' expressions shifted slightly. Instinctively, they tried to dodge.

But they soon realized in horror that the target of the black swords wasn't them—it was the critical nodes of the Splitting Light Dragon-Trapping Formation!

"Not good!"

One of the cultivators cried out in alarm. He finally realized that the black light emitted from Li Fan had struck each of the formation’s key points with pinpoint accuracy.

"Boom!"

Golden and black lights clashed violently, and the once-solid golden bell dimmed slightly in an instant. The unbreakable array had loosened.

"You dare show off your insignificant skills in front of an expert?"

As the light flickered, Li Fan's figure suddenly disappeared from the Dragon-Trapping Formation.

"He not only excels at deduction techniques, but also at formations?"

"How is this possible?"

In that instant, the same thought flashed through the minds of the four black-clad cultivators.

"Our intel was wrong! Retreat!"

The lead cultivator shouted, but as they prepared to flee, they noticed something strange—the sky had suddenly darkened. It was as though a massive black cloud had blotted out the heavens.

Then, dozens of golden lights shot out from the cloud at lightning speed, drawing an even larger golden bowl in the air, trapping the four cultivators inside.

"Splitting Light Dragon-Trapping Formation?!"

The black-clad cultivators' bodies trembled, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Not only had their own technique been used against them, but the formation now trapping them seemed far more refined than the one they had originally cast, despite being slightly weaker in power.

The formation was enhanced with an unknown improvement, making it even harder for them to break out.

At this point, the four black-clad cultivators knew they had to give it their all.

Inside the massive golden bowl, four unique Cave-Heaven visions appeared: an isolated snow peak, a misty forest, a towering mountain, and a vast plain.

Above them, beneath the black cloud and golden bowl, Li Fan stood, gazing down at the four Nascent Soul cultivators with a heart full of killing intent.

These cultivators were not all experts in formations; they had relied on magical tools to assist them. Thus, the formation they had set up in haste naturally had flaws.

Against ordinary cultivators, these flaws might not matter, but to Li Fan, the Splitting Light Dragon-Trapping Formation they had cast was riddled with weaknesses.

After breaking out of the Formation, Li Fan immediately retaliated.

First, he activated the "Shrouding the Sky-Palm" secret technique to conceal the sky, isolating the area from any outside detection. Then, using the "Deception" artifact he had purchased from the Tianxuan Mirror, he disrupted their talisman communication.

Next, he set up the "Explosive Method: Shocking Divine Formation", temporarily boosting his techniques to the Nascent Soul stage. He then used the Splitting Light Formation to trap them.

"When I was at the Foundation Establishment stage, I could already slay Nascent Soul cultivators."

"Now, with my cultivation at the late Golden Core stage, you four are nothing but easy prey!"

"Sky-Flipping!"

A massive hand descended from the sky. Trapped within the golden bowl, the four cultivators were like fish in a barrel, with nowhere to run.

The snow peak emitted a biting chill, the misty forest filled with ghostly wails, the towering mountain rushed towards them, and smoke rose from the plain…

The Cave-Heaven visions evolved as the four cultivators unleashed all their powers.

Four beams of light intertwined and merged, colliding with the Sky-Flipping Palm.

But it was futile!

Like paper, it was instantly torn apart.

The giant palm pressed down, and amid their screams, the four cultivators' bodies shattered inch by inch.

The Cave-Heaven visions reappeared, and their blood and flesh wriggled, reforming their bodies.

The residual force of the Sky-Flipping Palm ignored their bodies and instead smashed into the four Cave-Heavens.

"Boom!"

The Cave-Heavens shook violently, and it seemed like the end of the world had come. Massive cracks appeared in the Cave-Heaven domains as mountains collapsed, trees in the misty forest fell, and the plain split open...

It seemed as though the four Cave-Heavens were about to be completely destroyed in the next moment.

However, the black-clad cultivators were highly coordinated. In this life-and-death moment, none of them hesitated.

They pushed their powers to the limit and, working together, they barely managed to withstand the Sky-Flipping Palm.

The giant palm's shadow dissipated, and the trembling Cave-Heavens slowly began to stabilize.

The four cultivators, still pale and shaken, quickly absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy to heal their injured Cave-Heavens. They also consumed medicinal pills as they searched for Li Fan's whereabouts.

"The power of that technique was immense. Li Fan must have expended a great deal of energy as well. We should seize this opportunity to break the Dragon-Trapping Formation!"

"This person is not as simple as he appears. He may have already recovered from his injuries."

"Exactly. We must send this information back. He could be the bait set by the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance!"

As they hastily healed themselves, they communicated with their spiritual senses.