"Sect Master Hua, I never expected you to harbor such malicious intent, aiming to trigger the sect's restrictions to trap us. Are you secretly colluding with the Earth Origin Sect to completely overthrow the Pan Gu Secret Realm?" Huang Ze's gaze bore into Hua Wu as he demanded an answer.

"I do intend to trap you, but the accusation of colluding with the Earth Origin Sect is baseless. This is your own doing, don't blame our Tianxuan Sect! Jing Ya, activate the sect's restrictions!"

The Tianxuan Sect's head, Jing Ya, followed orders immediately. A powerful web of spiritual energy descended from the sky, with rocks tumbling as a vast stream of spiritual energy surged from hundreds of miles around Shuangfeng Mountain.

Ye Fan finally understood why the Tianxuan Sect possessed so many "giant stones for patching the sky"—it was part of the sect's restrictions. Hua Wu had long intended to trap members of all major sects on Shuangfeng Mountain.

As the massive stones fell, Huang Ze and the members of the five major sects summoned their swords of law. Following the principle of capturing the leader first to neutralize the bandits, Huang Ze directly charged at Hua Wu.

But as Hua Wu swiftly retreated, he triggered a restriction within the great hall, causing a purple web of spiritual energy to materialize like a barrier between heaven and earth, obstructing Huang Ze's path.

"Withdraw! No one is to remain inside the great hall!"

Hua Wu shouted once, and the already small number of Tianxuan Sect members completely retreated outside the great hall.

Ye Fan and others, who were already standing at the entrance, also stepped outside.

The doors of the great hall closed, and the strong web of spiritual energy within prevented even a Mahayana Realm expert like Huang Ze from escaping.

Hua Wu looked towards Wuyingzi and said, "I must thank the predecessor for your assistance."

"Ahem, I merely acted according to circumstances; this is all heaven's will." Wuyingzi's smile carried a hint of treachery.

Ye Fan felt incredulous. How could someone as ambitious as Huang Ze, along with so many experts from the five major sects, all fail to escape the array set by the Tianxuan Sect? What power did this array hold?

"Sect Master, why imprison people from the five major sects?" Ye Fan asked, "Won't this only hasten the tribulation's onset? Aren't we aiding the malevolence?"

Master Hui Ning angered and exclaimed, "Qing Neng, do not be disrespectful to the Sect Master!"

Hua Wu sneered, "Do you truly believe in this so-called tribulation? It might just be a lie invented by those at Emperor Mountain, and that so-called prophetic gemstone is nothing but a man-made setup. The talk of tribulation is merely a prophecy left by merchants and is not trustworthy!"

Ye Fan said, "The content of the prophetic gemstone is gradually coming true; how is it untrustworthy?"

"Regardless of its credibility, it's none of your concern. You were never the chosen one from the prophetic gemstone. You can take Yun Zhao and the others back to Earth; the matters of the secret realm are none of your business!" At this moment, Hua Wu was like a dictatorial monarch, unwilling to listen to anyone.

"Boom..."

Suddenly, a thunderclap resounded from the sky. In broad daylight, thunder roared and the sky rapidly filled with dark clouds.

Hua Wu looked up and laughed heartily, "Finally, the moment I've awaited has arrived!"

Ye Fan felt helpless. From the start, he trusted Hua Wu greatly, but unexpectedly, Huang Ze's schemes paled in comparison to Hua Wu's. The real big boss was here. Unfortunately, his cultivation was far inferior to Hua Wu's. With Hua Wu having the mysterious Wuyingzi as his ally, along with fellow sect members like Jing Ya and Master Hui Ning to assist him, even if Ye Fan joined forces with Li Zhaojun, Min Shang, and Lan Jing, they might not be their match.

After all, Lan Jing wasn't his woman and wouldn't always heed his commands.

"Qing Neng... I should call you Ye Fan," Hua Wu said, "From today forth, you are no longer a disciple of the Tianxuan Sect. You can take your woman back to Earth, and whatever happens in the Pan Gu Secret Realm henceforth will be irrelevant to you!"

"But Sect Master, if the Earth Origin Sect attacks again, how will you counter it without the strength of the five major sects?" Ye Fan asked sharply.

"That's none of your concern; if you don't leave now, I'll imprison you and your women inside!" Hua Wu threatened.

Even Wuyingzi watched Ye Fan with a smile, seemingly saying, "Do you really think I can't deal with that little girl Lan Jing either? If you don't leave, I might have to take action."

A wise man knows when to retreat. Knowing he lacked the power to stop Hua Wu's plans, Ye Fan gritted his teeth and said, "Then Sect Master, Master, I bid you farewell."

After bowing, Ye Fan, along with Li Zhaojun, Min Shang, and Lan Jing, made their way down Shuangfeng Mountain.

After they left, Wuyingzi asked, "Are you just going to let them go like that?"

Hua Wu laughed loudly, "Do you think they'll return to Earth safely? I'm sparing them now to lure out those mysterious individuals!"

...

Descending Shuangfeng Mountain, Ye Fan was internally furious. He had been on guard against Huang Ze, only to be stabbed in the back by Hua Wu ultimately.

He felt like he had been used.

Li Zhaojun showed a worried expression and asked sideways, "Ye Fan, are we really just going back to Earth like this?"

"What else can we do?" Ye Fan sighed, "Since the Tianxuan Sect could trap the five major sects, its restrictions are exceptionally formidable. With just the strength of the four of us, even if we save the people of the five major sects, what can they do?"

Lan Jing suddenly looked into the distance, "Someone's coming."

"Hmm?" Ye Fan probed in the direction Lan Jing indicated but detected no approach of spiritual energy.

But thanks to Lan Jing's warning, the four formed a protective web of spiritual energy to prevent any leakage.

Sure enough, before long, a massive aura approached rapidly. Ye Fan dared not recklessly release probing spiritual energy, but he did see a figure with his naked eyes—the Earth Origin Sect's Sect Master Ling, spotted earlier on Emperor Mountain.

Ling's face was masked, and to this day Ye Fan didn't know whether he was male or female—only that he was an "androgynous entity."

Perhaps gender scarcely mattered to such a person; Ling's sole aim was transcendance tribulation, inevitably void of human feelings.

"Master, someone was sensed around here, but now it vanished!" One of two protectors approached Ling from behind and said.

Ye Fan and his companions hid among the shrubs, while the spiritual energies of Ye Fan, Li Zhaojun, and Min Shang fused into a protective barrier exceeding their cultivation. Adding Lan Jing's transcendance tribulation-stage shield, it completely cloaked their energies. Even someone with Ling's formidable cultivation failed to detect them.

"No need to mind it, it's time to visit Sect Master Hua at the Tianxuan Sect's gate!" Ling spoke, then led the two protectors and several Earth Origin Sect experts above the Divinity Transformation Stage towards Shuangfeng Mountain.

Once they vanished from sight, Li Zhaojun remarked, "It seems Sect Master Hua and the Earth Origin Sect had colluded long ago, hence she isn't afraid of their retaliation."

Ye Fan pondered aloud, "The Tianxuan Sect was always at odds with the Earth Origin Sect, so why cooperate? The Earth Origin Sect's strength clearly surpasses the Tianxuan Sect; doesn't Sect Master Hua fear being used by them?"

"Perhaps Sect Master Hua is simply willing to be utilized by the Earth Origin Sect," Li Zhaojun suggested, "Or maybe the Earth Origin Sect wields some power to coerce or restrain the Tianxuan Sect, forcing Sect Master Hua to act as such."

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