Core Disciple Cheng glanced at Fang Chen and Little Immortal Honglian and sent a voice transmission. "Surely we're not going to use the Great Transference Immortal Talisman the Eldest Senior Sister gave us like this. Should we hide?"

Little Immortal Honglian looked serious. "In the Immortal Realm, it is said that the Great Sorrow Army is hard to deal with. Once they latch onto you, they'll swarm you in droves. It won't be easy to shake them off."

Fang Chen nodded. "Then let's avoid them for now."

A short while later, the three slipped out of the teahouse through a different exit. As they departed, the Great Sorrow Army had already entered the teahouse and was indeed already verifying everyone's registrations.

Before the trio could even catch their breath, another squad of the Great Sorrow Army appeared nearby, inspecting identities on the streets.

The crowd whispered amongst themselves.

"What's going on? Has some Evil Immortal come to the Immortal Origin District?"

"Who knows? But with so many of the Great Sorrow Army mobilized, it's unlikely to be anything good."

Fang Chen sighed secretly. It seems we cannot stay here long.

It was a bit of a pity as he had only earned just under ten thousand Immortal Crystals so far. Had he stayed a while longer, he might have earned enough to cover his expenses for several centuries.

After a brief discussion, the three decided to temporarily leave this den of trouble. Given their cultivation levels, leaving quietly wasn't a difficult task.

***

Several hours later, they were far from the Immortal Origin District.

Just as Little Immortal Honglian was about to speak, she suddenly went limp. She reached for Fang Chen's shoulder to steady herself, but she couldn't muster the strength to even do it. She collapsed toward the ground.

Fang Chen grabbed her immediately, his immortal essence surging as he instantly put distance between himself and Core Disciple Cheng. A deep crater was blasted into the spot where he had just been standing by a palm strike from Core Disciple Cheng. Had Fang Chen not pulled away in time, he likely would have been crushed to pieces.

Core Disciple Cheng was clearly surprised. He was a fourth-transformation immortal, yet his sneak strike had been evaded.

Glancing at Fang Chen, Core Disciple Chen chuckled. "Your speed... it is nothing like that of a Human Immortal."

His immortal essence surged wildly as he closed the distance.

Fang Chen, carrying Little Immortal Honglian, turned and fled. He didn't use the Shadow Buddha Technique. He instead used the Sword Transformation Technique to maintain a relatively safe distance from Core Disciple Cheng.

"Core Disciple Cheng, we're both members of the Enlightenment God Palace. Why are you attacking me?" asked Fang Chen calmly through voice transmission.

"You don't sound surprised at all," said Core Disciple Cheng, frowning. "When did you find out?"

"When you mentioned I made a fortune in the Immortal Origin District. Out of every hundred people who play with Immortal Origin, ninety-nine end up dead broke, Core Disciple Cheng. But you knew I was winning. Did you run into Core Disciple Xu? Or is he also planning to make a move against me?"

Core Disciple Cheng hadn't expected that kind of answer. "You suspected just because of that?"

He was a core disciple of the Enlightenment God Palace. Who would suspect him so easily because of a few casual words?

How could this person be so paranoid?

He also noticed Fang Chen's unusual speed. He was incredibly fast despite carrying Little Immortal Honglian, keeping pace with a fourth-transformation immortal like Cheng. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

He must have some movement-enhancing technique or a spiritual treasure, deduced Cheng.

"Core Disciple Fang, stop running. Your immortal essence is less than thirty percent of mine. At this rate, you'll exhaust yourself in a few days at most. Why don't we have a proper talk? There's no blood feud between us; I've simply been entrusted by someone to teach you a small lesson," transmitted Core Disciple Cheng.

"Do you take me for a three-year-old? You've already laid a hand on me. Once Eldest Senior Sister finds out about this, you're a dead man. What is there left to discuss?" Fang Chen laughed. "Don't force me to crush the Great Transference Immortal Talisman. You'd best turn back while you still can. It's actually quite funny, you clearly knew I could escape at any moment, so how did you dare to strike?"

A faint smile rose on Cheng's face. "It's precisely because of that Great Transference Immortal Talisman that I dared to move against you. It proves that Xie A'man didn't leave any other hidden cards. That talisman is the only real backup she gave you to ensure your safety. Unfortunately, while you can crush your talisman, can Little Immortal Honglian do the same?"

"She's unconscious and cannot activate her talisman. Are you really going to flee on your own and leave your Dao Companion behind?"

Hearing that, Fang Chen glanced at the still-unconscious Little Immortal Honglian in his arms. He naturally wouldn't abandon her and leave. Although they stood on different sides, in all the time they had spent together, she had never entertained a single thought of harming him. If their positions were reversed and he were the one unconscious, he reckoned she would also step up to protect him.

Furthermore, he didn't hold Core Disciple Cheng in high regard. He simply wanted to see how many traitors were among the Enlightenment God Palace Core Disciples who had come out on this trip.

Seeing Fang Chen neither stop nor use the talisman, Cheng smiled faintly.

Suddenly, immortal essence erupted from all directions. Several Immortal techniques, carrying terrifying power, streaked toward Fang Chen in a pincer attack.

Like a bolt of flowing light, Fang Chen's figure abruptly plummeted, narrowly dodging the encirclement of these techniques.

Boom!

The various Immortal techniques collided, erupting with a deafening roar as a terrifying shockwave rippled out in every direction.

In a mere instant, five Core Disciples of the Enlightenment God Palace, including Core Disciple Cheng, had surrounded Fang Chen and Little Immortal Honglian from all sides.

Xu Kun sighed softly. "Old Cheng, you're far too pathetic. A dignified fourth-transformation immortal like you couldn't even handle Daoist Fang? He's just a Human Immortal who recently reached the third transformation."

The two Core Disciples who had been following Xu Kun remained silent, their eyes fixed coldly on Fang Chen. As for the other one, it was the core disciple who had initially teamed up with Core Disciple Cheng, another fourth-transformation immortal.

Currently, there were two fourth-transformation immortals, one third-transformation immortal, and two second-transformation immortals surrounding Fang Chen. Their jade tokens were all purple, marking them as top-tier geniuses chosen by the God Enlightenment Palace.

"Core Disciple Fang has clearly hidden a hand from us. I don't think he is a simple Human Immortal," said Core Disciple Cheng with a faint smile.

As he spoke, he took out a seed and tossed it onto the ground.

The seed sprouted before their eyes, transforming into a magnificent flower. Its petals trembled slightly, and glowing pollen immediately drifted in all directions with the wind. Like the core points of an array, they formed a natural formation.

Fang Chen had already activated his Primordial Immortal Eyes. In his vision, the lines representing reality shifted, pulling everyone into an isolated space. The surrounding scenery had completely changed.

The smile on Core Disciple Cheng's face grew increasingly radiant. He asked, "Core Disciple Fang, do you know the name of this flower?"

Xu Kun and the others also wore faint smiles of confidence, as if everything was now firmly within their grasp.

"It's my first time seeing it," replied Fang Chen honestly. "What is it?"

Core Disciple Cheng calmly explained, "This flower is called the Hundred Day Red. As the name suggests, it takes a hundred days to bloom. During its growth period, it distorts everything around it to protect itself, forming a domain similar to a Grotto Heaven.

"In other words, from this moment until the hundred days are up, you cannot leave this place. Even the Great Transference Immortal Talisman is useless. As a cultivator, you shouldn't have allowed yourself to be immersed in petty romance. It has ruined you. If you were smart enough, you would have decisively crushed that talisman just now."

Fang Chen exhaled softly.

"This is simply wonderful."

***

Meanwhile, outside, a flash of white light appeared. The Sixth Star Lord stood staring at the now-empty area, drenched in cold sweat.

"I'm finished... Sister A'man is going to kill me..."