57: The Secrets of All Laws, the Appearance of a Sword Immortal

With the Cloud-Hiding Token in hand, Lin Fan felt more cautious and strategic regarding the upcoming Myriad Races Heavenly Pride Assembly and the Spirit Devouring Alliance lurking in the shadows. Strength was always the fundamental guarantee, while intelligence was the key to defeating enemies.

In the following days, besides his daily Cultivation, Lin Fan devoted more energy to gathering intelligence on various factions in the East Region, especially concerning the Spirit Devouring Alliance and the Prodigy Assembly itself. Although the Family library was extensive, its records on such hidden matters were limited. Naturally, he turned his gaze once again toward the Myriad Laws Tower within Tianjiao City.

As a Holy Land for collecting all knowledge of laws, the Myriad Laws Tower might not directly record the core secrets of the Spirit Devouring Alliance, but its records on East Region history, ancient secrets, and even some obscure heterodox techniques were certainly more detailed than those of the Lin Family. Lin Fan vaguely sensed that the Spirit Devouring Alliance's evil technique of swallowing others' Origins did not appear out of thin air; perhaps he could find some clues in ancient texts.

On this day, Lin Fan stepped into the Myriad Laws Tower once again. He went directly to the upper levels he hadn't explored much before, where the stored texts were more ancient and obscure, rarely consulted by ordinary Cultivators.

The air was filled with the scent of old books and a faint power of time. Lin Fan activated his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils, a golden light shimmering in his eyes as he scanned the rows of dust-covered bookshelves. The Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils could not only see through illusions but were also remarkably effective at detecting energy traces and identifying the authenticity and age of ancient texts.

His goal was clear: he specifically looked for scrolls related to ancient secret techniques, forbidden Legacies, and abnormal events in the East Region's recent history. Soon, he narrowed his search down to several scrolls made of special beast skin or ancient jade.

One tattered hide scroll titled "Records of Anomalies in the Eastern Desolation: Supplement" caught his attention. According to the introduction, it was written several thousand years ago by a Loose Cultivator who had traveled throughout the East Region, recording many strange occurrences not found in official histories. Lin Fan probed it with his Divine Sense.

The information within the scroll was vast and mostly nonsensical, but a record concerning the "Blood Sacrifice at Mount Beimang" made his gaze narrow slightly.

"In the 371st year of Jinghe, on the shady side of Mount Beimang, a black mist obscured the moon, and a strange fragrance filled the air. Woodcutters reported seeing Black-robed figures gathering in deep valleys, setting up altars and reciting evil scriptures. A month later, seven young men and women with special Physiques such as the 'Blazing Flame Physique' and 'Cold Jade Bone' vanished without a trace from three towns around Mount Beimang. Black ash was left at the scenes, and their souls were gone, seemingly forcibly extracted. Local authorities found no results and closed the cases as the work of demons. However, according to my secret investigation, the lingering aura was eerie—neither demon nor devil, but rather like the remains of an evil method for plundering the Origin of life, bearing a thirty percent resemblance to the methods of the ancient 'Spirit Swallowing Sect' recorded in old texts."

"Spirit Swallowing Sect?" Lin Fan noted the name and continued reading. In another Jade Slip recording the rise and fall of ancient Sects, he found a few mentions of the "Spirit Swallowing Sect." This Sect was active in an even more distant era, believing in the evil doctrine that "all things can be swallowed, only my Dao is eternal." They excelled at plundering others' talent, cultivation, Bloodline, and even Lifespan for their own use, once causing a massive bloodbath before being wiped out by the joint forces of the Righteous Path Alliance, their Legacy severed.

"Swallowing Origins... Spirit Swallowing Sect..." Lin Fan mentally connected these clues to the Spirit Devouring Alliance. Although the time span was immense and the Spirit Swallowing Sect had long been destroyed, the similarity in their core methods made him suspect whether the Spirit Devouring Alliance had obtained some fragmented Legacy of the Spirit Swallowing Sect or had evolved based on its evil techniques.

If that were the case, the threat of the Spirit Devouring Alliance might be even more ancient and troublesome than expected.

Just as he was immersed in the information from the ancient texts, a faint sound of footsteps and low conversation came from the entrance of this floor of the Myriad Laws Tower.

"Brother Huangfu, why come to such a remote corner? What's there to see in these old books?" a somewhat flattering voice said.

"What do you know?" another arrogant young voice rang out. It was none other than the Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, Huangfu Xuan, from the Tianlan Imperial Dynasty of the Central Region, whom Lin Fan had met once at the gates of Tianjiao City! His voice was lowered, but it still reached Lin Fan's ears clearly. "I've heard that the upper levels of the Myriad Laws Tower hide some fragmented maps or clues regarding ancient 'Sword Tombs' and 'Secret Realms.' Although they are old and hard to verify, even a small discovery would be a massive Opportunity. It's better than those common Cultivation Technique summaries downstairs."

"Brother Huangfu's insight is profound! I was shortsighted," the previous person quickly flattered.

Lin Fan's heart stirred. Sword Tomb? Secret Realm? It seemed Huangfu Xuan wasn't a pure playboy; he knew to come here looking for Opportunities. Lin Fan remained calm and continued browsing the Jade Slip in his hand while slightly expanding the perception of his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils to monitor the movements of Huangfu Xuan and his companion.

Huangfu Xuan and his companion wandered between the bookshelves for a while but didn't seem to find anything of particular interest, appearing somewhat frustrated.

"Tsk, all useless things." Huangfu Xuan casually tossed a Jade Slip back onto the shelf, his gaze scanning around. Suddenly, his eyes fixed on the direction where Lin Fan was—more accurately, on a silver Jade Slip placed alone on the shelf in front of Lin Fan, emitting faint spatial fluctuations.

The Jade Slip was ancient in design with fine cloud patterns on its surface. It was the fragment of "Travels of the Great Void" that Lin Fan had just discovered, which recorded some rumors about the "void legacy." It mentioned clues to several void Secret Realms that might exist in the Ancient Road or battlefield fragments. Although the details were vague, it was quite valuable for Lin Fan's reference.

"Hmm? That Jade Slip..." Huangfu Xuan's eyes brightened. He could feel the extraordinary nature of that Jade Slip. Since he had come looking for treasure clues, he couldn't let it go. He immediately stepped forward, reaching out to take it.

However, another hand was faster. Lin Fan seemed to just casually brush his hand, and the silver Jade Slip was already in his grasp as he calmly continued to review it with his Divine Sense.

Huangfu Xuan's hand froze in mid-air, and his face instantly darkened. He was naturally proud and had already held a grudge after being startled into retreat by Lin Fan's finger at the gate of Tianjiao City. Seeing Lin Fan dare to "snatch" something he had set his eyes on, his anger flared.

"Lin Fan?" Huangfu Xuan recognized him, his tone unfriendly. "I saw this Jade Slip first."

Lin Fan finally seemed to notice him, lifting his eyelids and saying indifferently, "The rules of the Myriad Laws Tower are first come, first served. If the Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo wants it, he can borrow it after I finish my review."

"You!" Huangfu Xuan was infuriated by Lin Fan's indifferent attitude, especially feeling his pride wounded in front of his companion. He snorted coldly, "Lin Fan, don't think you can be so arrogant just because you have some brute strength! This Tianjiao City isn't ruled by your Lin Family of the East Region! If you're smart, hand over the Jade Slip, and I might overlook your previous rudeness."

His companion chimed in, "Exactly! Brother Huangfu is the Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo from the Tianlan Imperial Dynasty. Your Lin Family is just a Family from a corner of the East Region. How dare you compete with Brother Huangfu?"

Lin Fan's eyes turned slightly cold as he put down the Jade Slip and looked at Huangfu Xuan. "Oh? And if I don't, what will the Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo do? Fight me here?" His tone remained calm, yet it carried an invisible pressure. Private fighting was strictly forbidden within the Myriad Laws Tower, with heavy penalties and even the possibility of being stripped of the qualification to participate in the assembly.

Huangfu Xuan's face flushed. He naturally didn't dare to fight openly in the Myriad Laws Tower. But his eyes darted around, and he suddenly laughed sinisterly, "Fight? Why would I need to do that myself? Lin Fan, you're just relying on your powerful Physical Body. True Prodigies compete in their comprehension of the Great Dao and the variation of Divine Abilities! Do you dare to make a bet with me?"

"Bet on what?" Lin Fan raised an eyebrow.

"On your comprehension of the content in this Jade Slip!" Huangfu Xuan pointed to the fragment of "Travels of the Great Void." "This Jade Slip clearly involves spatial mysteries. We will each immerse our Divine Sense in it for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Afterward, we will use our own methods to manifest or explain the spatial profundities we've grasped, and the people present will judge the winner! If you lose, not only will the Jade Slip be mine, but you must also publicly apologize to me! If I lose, hmph, this 'Void Gazer Stone' will be yours!" As he spoke, he flipped his palm to reveal a fist-sized silver stone with mist-like flow inside, emitting pure spatial fluctuations—it was the precious spatial attribute material, the Void Gazer Stone!

Some Cultivators nearby, drawn by the commotion, showed interested expressions. The stakes were not small, especially the Void Gazer Stone, which was highly valuable to Cultivators practicing spatial arts.

Lin Fan looked at the Void Gazer Stone and then at the Jade Slip in his hand. After a brief deliberation, he nodded. "Agreed."

He happened to want to see what kind of effect his Delusion-Breaking Divine Pupils, combined with his understanding of the Dao of Chaos, would have in comprehending such spatial texts. Moreover, this Void Gazer Stone might be helpful for his future use of spatial power or for repairing the star pagoda.

"Good! Straightforward!" A glint of triumph flashed in Huangfu Xuan's eyes. Coming from the Imperial Dynasty, he had broad horizons and some knowledge of the Dao of space. He believed he would never lose to a "barbarian" from the East Region who only knew how to temper his Physical Body.

The two immediately sat cross-legged and immersed their Divine Sense into the silver Jade Slip. The information within was complex, mainly recording the author's experiences and insights while traveling through the void, interspersed with many broken fragments of spatial laws and descriptions of Secret Realm locations, all of which were obscure and difficult to understand.

The time it took for an incense stick to burn passed in an instant.

Both opened their eyes almost simultaneously.

Huangfu Xuan was the first to stand, a confident smile on his face. "Lin Fan, watch closely! This is the Void Ripples I have comprehended!" He pointed his finger like a sword and tapped lightly at the void in front of him.

Instantly, the space in front of his fingertip rippled like water, spreading out in layers. Wherever the ripples passed, the light distorted slightly, as if able to deflect and disperse attacks. This "Void Ripples" had already touched upon the surface of spatial laws. To Cultivators in the Divine Power Realm or even those newly entered into the Purple Mansion, it was considered exquisite. Several gasps of admiration sounded from the surroundings.

Huangfu Xuan looked at Lin Fan triumphantly.

Lin Fan's expression remained unchanged as he slowly stood up. He didn't perform a specific Spell like Huangfu Xuan but instead slowly raised his right hand, his fingers slightly spread.

In the next moment, under the shocked gazes of the crowd, the space within a three-foot radius centered on Lin Fan's palm seemed to become independent! The light, dust, and even the subtle flow of energy within that patch of space became extremely slow, as if time had stopped! At the edge of that slowed space, the spatial structure was exceptionally stable, with a faint flow of Chaos Qi isolating the inside from the outside.

This wasn't simple spatial distortion or ripples; it was a preliminary... control and definition of space! Although the range was tiny and the duration extremely short, the understanding of the essence of space it displayed far surpassed Huangfu Xuan's "Void Ripples"!

What made it even more unbelievable for Huangfu Xuan was that at the edge of the strange space Lin Fan had manifested, several blurry phantoms appeared, which were extremely similar to the entrance runes of a certain void Secret Realm recorded in the fragment of "Travels of the Great Void"! This meant Lin Fan had not only comprehended spatial variations but had also captured substantial clues to the Secret Realm!

The winner was clear! Silence fell over the crowd, followed by low cries of surprise. The gazes directed at Lin Fan were filled with shock.

The triumph on Huangfu Xuan's face instantly froze and turned ashen. His fingers gripping the Void Gazer Stone turned white from the force. He had lost, and so completely! Not only was the other party's understanding of space far superior to his, but he had even gained practical benefits from it!

"Heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, I accept your concession." Lin Fan calmly reached out his hand.

Huangfu Xuan's expression shifted, but under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he couldn't go back on his word. Gritting his teeth, he threw the Void Gazer Stone to Lin Fan with extreme reluctance. He glared at Lin Fan, left a sharp "Let's go!" and quickly departed the floor with his companion, humiliated.

Lin Fan put away the Void Gazer Stone, his heart untroubled. To him, this was just a small interlude. What he cared about more was that the strange state of combining Chaos Qi with spatial insights while manifesting the space just now seemed to give him a new touch of inspiration regarding the "Other-Transformation Freedom Magic."

["System," he whispered in his heart, checking in while validating his spatial insights, "Check in while validating spatial insights at the Myriad Laws Tower."]

[Ding! Check-in location detected—Myriad Laws Tower (Comprehending spatial profundities, manifesting chaotic void). Conditions met. Check-in successful!]

[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: void escape talismans (three)!]

Three silver Talismans engraved with complex spatial runes appeared in the System space. **void escape talisman**: Once activated, it can instantly transport the user a thousand miles away, ignoring most spatial locks and Formation obstructions. It is a Sharp Weapon for life-saving escapes.

"Not bad." Lin Fan nodded in satisfaction. This item perfectly made up for his current lack of a powerful escape technique.

He noted the key information from the "Travels of the Great Void" fragment and consulted several other potentially related ancient texts until sunset before leaving the Myriad Laws Tower.

Walking back to his residence, Lin Fan digested what he had gained today: the suspicion that the Spirit Devouring Alliance might be related to the ancient Spirit Swallowing Sect, clues about void Secret Realms, and the Void Gazer Stone and void escape talismans obtained after the conflict with Huangfu Xuan.

Suddenly, he felt something and stopped, looking up at a high-rising Star-Gazing Tower in the distance.

At the top of the tower, as the moonlight first appeared, a cold, immortal-like figure stood holding a sword, her robes fluttering as if merging with the night sky. It was Su Zhiqing, the Saintess of the Glazed Immortal Domain.

She also seemed to sense Lin Fan's gaze, turning her head slightly, her cold eyes piercing through the night to meet Lin Fan's from afar.

Their gazes met and parted in an instant.

Su Zhiqing looked back at the distant starry sky as if it were just a casual glance.

Lin Fan continued forward, a faint, imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

The Myriad Races Heavenly Pride Assembly had not yet officially begun, but within this Tianjiao City, where undercurrents surged and Prodigies gathered, invisible clashes and probes were already everywhere.

Huangfu Xuan was just the beginning. The real opponents were like that sword immortal atop the tower—cold, aloof, yet with hidden sharpness, waiting for the moment to shock the world. And he, Lin Fan, was already prepared.