After fleeing for a month in the direction of the Ten Thousand Laws Palace.

Li Ji’an sighed inwardly, the constant high alert had exhausted his divine sense greatly.

At this moment, he had to gradually slow down.

Simultaneously, he sensed the shadow of Yun Yao behind him, who thought she was well-hidden.

Though she formed a Middle Level True Pill and cultivated divine abilities, her divine sense was still only at the early-stage True Core, not as strong as Li Ji’an’s.

So, when she secretly followed a month ago, Li Ji’an noticed immediately.

Uncertain whether she was using him to lure out Xiao Changfeng or had other intentions, Li Ji’an did not expose her to avoid revealing the uniqueness of his divine sense.

However, he could not shake her off no matter how he tried.

Because she always followed him, Li Ji’an felt as if facing a formidable opponent.

"This fool!" he sighed helplessly.

He had already explained to her that the Fiery Sun Sect wanted to incite conflict between Qingmen Sect and Biyun Sect, separating specially so the Fiery Sun Sect couldn’t frame her.

Yet she dared to catch up.

"Is she secretly protecting me?" Uncertain of her relationship and progress with Xiao Changfeng, Li Ji’an couldn’t ascertain her thoughts.

However, her actions indeed kept Li Ji’an on edge!

"Buzz~" At this moment, Li Ji’an’s sea of consciousness trembled slightly.

His expression changed instantly, and he activated both of his top-grade shields to full power.

The next moment, he felt a chilling sense of crisis from beneath the ground.

Boom~

An ice spike suddenly emerged from the ground, carrying True Core pressure, reaching him in an instant.

"Bang!" The second Yellow Rock Shield shattered after just three breaths.

"Who dares act, show yourself now!" Fairy Yunyao launched her Exquisite Treasure Tower from afar.

Before, when confronting Li Ji’an, she hadn’t even used her Lifebound Magical Treasure, only showed a semblance to intimidate him.

But now, she wielded it without hesitation.

She clearly sensed the formidable presence of the attacker.

The Exquisite Treasure Tower struck the hiding spot underground.

Facing this magical treasure, the attacker dared not be careless, immediately dispersing magic power and fled again.

Li Ji’an retracted the Burst Pill in his hand and the ready-to-act Wind-Fire Fan, temporarily breathing a sigh of relief.

But inwardly, he grew more worried.

Because this attacker was clearly not the earth element True One who used sandstorms before, but someone mimicking earth magic, the killer move being an ice spike.

Given Li Ji’an’s understanding of the major sects within the domain after becoming an Elder, the Fiery Sun Sect had no such person.

And he had some inkling of the attacker outside Han River Immortal City, who, despite elaborate disguises, was likely the Mountain Flipping True Man of the Fiery Sun Sect, Fu Xiaochen’s senior brother, with Mid-stage True Core cultivation.

"Thank you, Fairy Yunyao, for helping. But... why did you catch up again? Like this, the opponent’s intention to kill me and frame you won’t end!" Li Ji’an first thanked her, then spoke bluntly, making her understand the interception was brought by her.

Yun Yao’s expression was solemn, and she glanced sideways at Li Ji’an: "Frame me? Hmph, you probably haven’t understood the current situation!"

"The one who acted just now, if I’m not mistaken, is likely Master Wangyou of Dongli Sect, not someone from Fiery Sun Sect."

"Dongli Sect!" Li Ji’an felt suspicion.

"Damn it!"

A thought flashed across his mind instantly.

"It’s no longer the Fiery Sun Sect attempting to frame Qingmen Sect but other sects trying to frame the Fiery Sun Sect!"

At that time, the Fiery Sun Sect acted with the goal of inciting conflict between the Biyun Sect and Qingmen Sect, so they could explore the ancient tomb undisturbed.

Now, with Li Ji’an exposing the Fiery Sun Sect’s conspiracy outside Han River Immortal City, if he were to die, other sects could ally with the Biyun Sect under the pretense of seeking justice for him and apply pressure on the Fiery Sun Sect to jointly explore the ancient tomb.

Li Ji’an frowned, realizing he had dug a pit for himself!

And it was a massive pit!

"Why are you just standing there? I’ll escort you back to the Sect!" Fairy Yunyao saw Li Ji’an in a daze and urged him.

At their current position, it would take another two months to reach the Ten Thousand Laws Palace and three months to Biyun Sect. Though Ten Thousand Laws Palace might not sincerely protect him, returning to the Sect was indeed a safe approach.

With Yun Yao’s protection, it was difficult for a regular True Man to succeed against him.

However... the opponent may not give him the chance to return to the Sect.

If they were determined to take his life in exchange for a potential Divinity Transformation Tomb opportunity, even dispatching two True Men or more, Yun Yao would be powerless.

Moreover, with the Faceless Mask, even Ning Sujin’s Nascent Soul and Primordial Spirit couldn’t see through it, so fooling a group of True Men would be no issue.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Fairy, but I have my own ingenious plan to evade the enemy, so I won’t trouble you." Li Ji’an pondered for a moment and chose the safest route.

"You? With just a Fake Pill, how can you resist the attack of a True Man?" Yun Yao frowned.

"I wouldn’t joke around with my own life."

"You can’t even take one move from this True Man, yet you dare boast? Don’t be fooled by being addressed as a True Man by others. You are merely a Fake Pill!"

"..." Li Ji’an was speechless.

"Less talk, the reason this True Man is protecting you is not to use you as bait for that bastard, and whether you live or die has nothing to do with me. It’s only for the sake of Qingmen Sect." Yun Yao’s attitude was resolute.

Li Ji’an stopped speaking and swiftly turned to flee.

Seeing him fleeing southwards towards Cangyun State, Yun Yao cast a satisfied glance at him and then locked her Divine Sense on him, secretly following.

Three days later, just as they approached a family market.

Yun Yao unleashed her full Divine Sense and accelerated her speed to the utmost, yet she still had to face a reality—she lost him!

"How could this be? How could I lose track of a mere Fake Pill?"

"Could it be that someone tricked me?"

Suddenly, cold sweat dripped from her neck, and she hastily looked around for any clues.

Meanwhile, Li Ji’an had already activated the Faceless Mask, using Huang Jie’s essence blood to transform into a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, joining a group of companions heading towards the Profound Light Immortal City of the Ten Thousand Laws Palace.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, what kind of Spiritual Object are you planning to bid on this trip?" A familiar Foundation Establishment cultivator asked.

The journey to Profound Light Immortal City takes only two months for a True Man.

But for Foundation Establishment cultivators, at least four months.

Moreover, at this time, most cultivators heading to Profound Light Immortal City are aiming to bid on Spirit Treasures, coupled with the situation in the Black Water Swamp, this journey is unlikely to be peaceful, so many travel in groups.

"I’m ashamed to say, I recently lost a sum in the swamp, and now I’m really not in a position to hope for Spirit Treasures at the auction, just going to see the sights." Li Ji’an replied with helplessness.

"Hehe~ Fellow Daoist Huang is indeed cautious, I was presumptuous, please don’t take it to heart."

"It’s no matter."

"Speaking of the Black Water Swamp, Fellow Daoist Huang, do you know the situation there? Is there a chance for us to profit amidst the chaos?" Another burly man joined the conversation.

Li Ji’an shook his head: "The Fiery Sun Sect has sealed it off, even Qingmen Sect couldn’t intervene, and other sects haven’t found a suitable reason to get involved. What hope do we have?"

"Humph! The sect clans sucking the domain dry truly leaves us small cultivators with no days to shine, it’s infuriating!"

"Indeed, I heard that whenever an ancient ruin or tomb emerges in the Ten Thousand Merchants Domain, all cultivators in the domain have a chance. If any force dares to monopolize, they will surely be attacked by everyone, unlike us in the Celestial Cyan Domain!"

"It’s not like the cultivators in the domain have been suppressed for so long, no one dares to resist?"

"Resist? Those with the highest cultivation are the ruling from the Holy Palace Upper Sect, do you expect them to overthrow themselves?"

As the group discussed the matter of Fiery Sun Sect monopolizing the tomb, they were filled with righteous indignation.

But ultimately, it was nothing more than complaints.

"Didn’t you hear there’s likely to be a sect war this time?" Finally, a silent old man spoke in a mysterious tone.

"Sect war? That’s impossible, right? All seven sects within the domain are under the dispatch of the Holy Palace, without the Holy Palace’s approval, who dares to really fight to the death?"

The Biyun Sect of Cangyun State, the Fiery Sun Sect, Dongli Sect, Glazed Sect, Qingmen Sect of Celestial Origin Province, the Sword Sect and Celestial Sound Pavilion of Dao Source State, each of the seven sects occupies a region, yet all hold the Ten Thousand Laws Palace in reverence, whether overtly or covertly.

"This is naturally the will of the Holy Palace!" The old man replied calmly, with apparent confidence.

"Why?" The others looked at the old man, eager for gossip.

"Because soon, there might be no True Monarch stationed within the domain!" The old man said firmly.

"No True Monarch stationed? What... does that mean?"

With a smile, the old man remained silent but pointed upwards, indicating that the secrets of heaven shouldn’t be leaked.

Li Ji’an instinctively distanced himself from the old man upon hearing this.

Such statements were too extraordinary.

Throughout history, the True Monarchs of Ten Thousand Laws Palace have been inheriting the title, bearing the responsibility of upholding the Holy Palace, never abandoning it.

The lineage endured through five generations of True Monarchs, all following this tradition.

Even though rumors suggested that the Great Marsh Cultivation Realm’s Central Ten Domains offered a chance to advance to mid-stage Nascent Soul, the True Monarch of Ten Thousand Laws never left.

This old man, however, implies the Celestial Cyan Domain will soon be without a True Monarch, which unmistakably means the current True Monarch of Ten Thousand Laws will fall, and the Ten Thousand Laws Palace won’t produce a successor soon.

If true, the Ten Thousand Laws Palace won’t be able to dominate the seven sects strongly in the future.

For the Holy Palace’s stability, or to drag until a successor emerges, there might be ways to weaken the sect’s foundation, at least prevent the seven sects from uniting as one.

Li Ji’an couldn’t outright deny the old man’s astonishing claim, especially since previous rumors suggested that the True Monarch of Ten Thousand Laws was gravely injured in a magical combat with the Golden Puppet Demon Monarch, so there was a certain possibility.

Nonetheless, anyone making such remarks couldn’t be an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, could they?