Who Promised Me

"This place is heavily layered with secrets. One wrong step in many areas, and everything here could be reduced to ashes."

"I have observed it many times, yet I still haven't recognized what kind of method this is."

"Therefore, seniors, please follow my exact footsteps without the slightest deviation, otherwise, this grand formation is highly likely to be annihilated."

Standing before the crimson pillar of light, Gao Fang spoke with a sincere tone.

Li Yingling couldn't be bothered to reply, merely casting a glance at her second junior brother beside her.

Li Xingtian understood and took over, saying coldly, "Just walk."

"Yes." Gao Fang hastily nodded in agreement, then began to walk forward with slow, deliberate, and light steps.

The crimson pillar of light continuously emitted intense spiritual energy fluctuations, radiating an incredibly profound and marvelous sensation from beginning to end.

As Gao Fang walked in front, a hint of struggle flashed across his face.

It was obvious that his subconscious actions just now had greatly angered the breathtakingly beautiful mighty cultivator.

Knowing that the other party was an evil cultivator, someone whose lack of morals could rival his own.

Gao Fang asked himself: if an ant a whole major realm below him dared to offend him, even if he currently needed the ant's help, he would at least chop it into eight pieces once the matter was settled.

True, this body was not important.

But the soul art hidden within this ritual was absolutely what he needed.

If he messed this up, losing the body was a small matter, but missing out on the secret art would mean the end of everything.

Gao Fang knew deeply that his lifespan was nearing its end, and his only way out was this formation ritual.

His beloved disciple, Sun Zhong, had already confirmed it behind his back, and the heavens had also given him a revelation.

Only by seeing through its profound mysteries could he truly gain a new lease on life.

Reaching this point in his thoughts, Gao Fang instinctively wanted to discuss it with Sun Zhong. His hollow gaze shifted to his side, only to suddenly remember that he had long since refined Sun Zhong into a Dharma body.

He suddenly felt a sense of abnormality in his heart.

It seemed like something was not quite right.

But he quickly dismissed this strange feeling—Sun Zhong had always been a plaything in the palm of his hand; the boy had even walked into the ritual to be refined into a Dharma body on his own.

This absolute sense of control made Gao Fang subconsciously abandon any thought of the threat Sun Zhong could pose to him.

However, Gao Fang's instincts as an evil cultivator reminded him—if he didn't demonstrate his continued usefulness now, then when he truly became useless, no amount of effort would save him.

Even if he had no real use later, he had to lay the groundwork and make up some claims about his future utility now.

Even if these claims were pure nonsense and deceit.

But as an evil cultivator, lies and deceit were his bread and butter anyway.

"The Heavenly Demons emerge, and the Great Tribulation descends." Gao Fang continued to slow his pace, stalling for time to formulate his rhetoric and keep speaking.

Gao Fang slowed his tone and said, "No matter how you look at it, the Eighteen Immortal Sects of the Central State naturally possess absolute power right now."

"Moreover, outside the Eighteen Immortal Sects, there are countless other immortal sects."

"But if you really compare the number of these light pillars to the various immortal sects, they seem numerous, but are actually pitifully few."

"With the Eighteen Immortal Sects preparing to strike and Tribulation Crossing experts roaming about, what pillar could possibly remain in this world?"

"Not to mention the one who answers the mandate of heaven, Chu Xingchen, and the only living true immortal in the world, Bai Xuanling."

"Even with these two, along with the Eighteen Immortal Sects and the countless righteous sects, these pillars continue to rise up, never once ceasing."

"Seniors, do you know the reason for this?"

The corners of Li Yingling's mouth curled into a smile. She naturally didn't believe that a mere Golden Core cultivator could know any inside information.

Furthermore, regarding the nonsense this man was spouting, as Chu Xingchen's eldest disciple who had access to all shared intelligence, she genuinely already knew all the answers.

First of all, many light pillars were traps in themselves; going there was like stepping on a massive explosive.

Especially since the pillars would spawn true Heavenly Demons at the Great Perfection of the Tribulation Crossing realm.

Ordinary sects naturally wouldn't dare to touch such terrible luck.

Moreover, while these pillars were said to be numerous, they were scattered far and wide across the world. They were spread incredibly far apart, and some were highly concealed, even employing additional illusions to block the prying eyes of mortals.

Apart from external reasons, there was also no shortage of internal pressure.

The Eighteen Immortal Sects naturally had many Tribulation Crossing cultivators, but the truth was that many of them couldn't be mobilized at all.

Many sects had little desire to cooperate, nor were they willing to let their own Tribulation Crossing cultivators mess with pillars that had a chance of spawning Heavenly Demons.

Currently, among the Eighteen Immortal Sects, only a small minority were truly putting in the effort. They also had many other matters to handle, leaving them heavily restricted.

Furthermore, evil cultivators, evil cults, and demonic creatures were using the matter of the light pillars to preach wildly.

For the sake of profit, those who wanted to pull chestnuts out of the fire would even protect the light pillars, going so far as to pay a heavy price for it.

Amidst the great chaos, ordinary sects were hindered by this.

Until the initial integration and discussions among the sects were concluded, these light pillars would continue to run rampant for a time.

However, talking about these things was quite frustrating.

Even with a great tribulation right before them, some matters still had to be slowly negotiated.

But the most crucial reason was this: it was highly likely that these light pillars were not meant to construct a grand teleportation formation between the two realms at all.

If they weren't, then this whole affair was very likely just a deceptive diversion, something the Heavenly Demons deliberately created to scatter everyone's focus.

Li Yingling also roughly understood Gao Fang's intention in bringing this up, so she personally asked:

"What, can a lowly Golden Core cultivator like you know the truth of the matter?"

Hearing Li Yingling speak, Gao Fang felt he had at least a fifty percent chance of success. He immediately replied:

"I naturally cannot understand it completely, but I do know some of the underlying reasons."

"This formation ritual is absolutely not the teleportation array meant to cross the Abyssal Realm, as rumored by those Heavenly Demons."

As Gao Fang said this, he also led everyone to the front of the formation ritual.

The formation, composed of intertwined scarlet and bizarre runes, formed a precise pattern. Supported by spiritual energy, it revealed a charm that was entirely distinct from anything in this world.

The pillar of light shooting into the sky flowed entirely within these runes and the formation.

These runes displayed a line of thought entirely different from the Five Continents.

The completely different formation ritual also signified that this was an entirely distinct school of thought.

Even though Gao Fang couldn't see it with his own eyes, he deeply remembered the position and appearance of every rune inside. After all, this might be his last chance to rid himself of his current body.

"I have studied it for a long time... Although I don't understand its profound mysteries, I have detected the flow of these runes and the energy fluctuations they contain."

"Even if it is completely different from the formation knowledge we study today, energy must always reach the same destination by different routes."

"I am very familiar with this fluctuation..." Gao Fang's tone trembled slightly. "This is a fluctuation related to the divine soul."

Gao Fang's expression suddenly became somewhat frantic, and he abruptly said:

"Sun Zhong! Sun Zhong! Do you see it?"

"Your master told you! Your master has outstanding talent, and my speculations must be true!"

"Even though your talent far surpasses your master's, you still lost! If your talent could belong to your master... then your master would definitely be able to comprehend everything."

"My beloved disciple Sun Zhong, why don't you come and lend your master a helping hand?"

Li Yingling's gaze sharpened as she looked at Gao Fang, who had fallen into a completely different state and was becoming somewhat unhinged before her.

A voice transmission from the Tribulation Realm cultivator of the Xuanqing Heaven Sect closely followed:

"His divine soul is resonating with something unknown. The state of his soul is in absolute chaos, and it seems to have been distorted."

Hearing this, Li Yingling nodded slightly. She then looked at Gao Fang, pondered for a moment, and said in a cold voice:

"Have you forgotten? Sun Zhong is dead!"

Gao Fang, who had previously looked utterly crazed, was taken aback by her words. The ferocious expression on his face dissolved into confusion.

His hollow gaze shifted back, and he spoke in a tone filled with bewilderment and astonishment:

"Dead?!"

"Then who was it that just made a promise to me?"