Life span plundered, I became a detective and achieved immortality

Chapter 981 Doubt

Hei Xuanzhenxian's gaze swept across the empty hall, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness. Chaotic energy swirled slowly at his fingertips, as if countless universes were born, died, and rose within it.

First, a mysterious True Immortal appeared, putting their entire clan on high alert. Now, the Myriad Treasures Palace has suffered this calamity. If it weren't for Black Moon's embezzlement, he would have surely fallen victim to that thief's clutches. To be able to capture a Second-Rank True Immortal undetected within the Myriad Treasures Palace, the opponent's cultivation and strength must be extraordinary; even compared to him, a Fifth-Rank True Immortal, they would likely be no weaker.

Alas! These are truly turbulent times!

Hei Xuanzhen sighed inwardly, the chaotic energy at his fingertips becoming increasingly disordered, causing subtle ripples to spread throughout the surrounding space.

at this time……

Behind him, a fourth-rank True Immortal dressed in a green robe hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Ancestor, could this be the work of Hei Xiao and Hei Yan?"

"How can this be!"

Before Hei Xuan Zhenxian could speak, another fourth-rank Zhenxian in gray robes—Hei Quan Laozu—responded sharply, his gray mist surging around him, "Not to mention that Hei Xiao and Hei Yan have always been sworn enemies and would never join forces; even if they could put aside their grudges and join forces, they would be no match for Hei Yue, let alone capture him without anyone noticing! Hei Yue is a peak second-rank Zhenxian, a whole major realm higher than them!"

“But the timing of Hei Yan and Hei Xiao’s departure is a bit too coincidental,” the green-robed True Immortal insisted, his tone stubborn. “With that mysterious True Immortal lurking outside, even we dare not leave the Obsidian Continent casually, lest we encounter misfortune. Those two First-Rank True Immortals are far too bold. Aren’t they afraid of running into that mysterious True Immortal and ending up dead? There must be something strange about this.”

"The difference in strength is obvious; there's absolutely no way they could do it!" Old Ancestor Black Spring stood firm, and chains of rules were already faintly flashing within the gray mist, carrying an undeniable pressure that caused the surrounding air to stagnate slightly.

"Enough." Hei Xuanzhenxian spoke in a deep voice. His voice was not loud, but it struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer, instantly stopping the two from arguing. "Hei Quan, whether it is true or not, just ask An Shan and the other four."

As he spoke, he flicked a black light from his fingertip, which floated towards the palace gate like silk. Wherever it passed, the space distorted slightly and ripples spread out.

next moment......

The four eighth-rank Celestial Immortals guarding outside the hall were pulled into the top floor of the Myriad Treasures Hall by an invisible force. Before they could react, their feet were already off the ground, and when they landed again, they were already under the oppressive aura of the True Immortal Ancestors. The aura that gathered from several True Immortals pressed down like the sky collapsing, and the four of them were so frightened that they knelt down with a "thud," their knees hitting the hard floor tiles with a dull thud. Their bodies trembled like leaves, and they repeatedly said, "Ancestors... Ancestors..."

They could clearly feel that the air inside the hall seemed to have solidified into lead, and every gaze that fell upon them carried immense power, as if it would crush their bodies and souls in the next second.

Black Profound Immortal's gaze swept over the four eighth-rank Celestial Immortals, his eyes seemingly able to pierce through their flesh and reach the depths of their souls, revealing even the most subtle thoughts hidden in their hearts. He slowly spoke, "Four hundred billion years ago, did Black Cloud and Black Flame ever come here?"

Though the voice was soft, it struck the hearts of the four eighth-rank Celestial Immortals, including Anshan, like a thousand-pound hammer. They felt their souls tremble and their minds churn; how could they dare to conceal anything?

"Reporting to our Ancestors, both Ancestors did indeed visit the Myriad Treasures Hall." The Dark Mountain Demon Lord, the most powerful of the four Eighth-Rank Celestial Immortals, answered with a trembling voice, cold sweat already soaking his temples and trickling down his cheeks, dripping onto the cold ground and spreading into a small puddle. "First came Ancestor Black Cloud, then a hundred years later, Ancestor Black Flame also came. A thousand years later, Ancestor Black Flame left the Myriad Treasures Hall in a rage; and three thousand years later, Ancestor Black Cloud slowly departed..."

He recounted everything he had seen back then in detail, not even daring to omit the gust of wind stirred up by the hem of the robes of the two patriarchs as they departed.

"Three thousand years... what a wonderful three thousand years."

The voice of the Black Profound Immortal suddenly turned cold, icy and piercing, as if it came from the depths of an ancient ice prison. The moment his voice fell, the temperature on the top floor of the Myriad Treasures Hall plummeted by tens of millions of degrees. Layers of mysterious ice condensed on the walls, and even the air was frozen into ice crystals. The True Immortal power around the True Immortal Ancestors was covered with frost flowers, as if they would completely freeze everyone's souls in the next second.

At this moment, he was basically certain that this matter was inextricably linked to Hei Xiao and Hei Yan. The day Hei Yan left the Obsidian Continent was precisely the same day Hei Xiao left the Myriad Treasures Hall. What a coincidence! He would never believe that the two were completely unrelated!

Those two damned bastards, how dare they be so audacious!

"Ancestor, have you discovered anything?" Ancestor Black Spring couldn't contain himself and asked first, his gray mist churning violently with urgency. The gazes of all the True Immortal Ancestors fell on True Immortal Black Profound, their eyes filled with urgency and solemnity. Even the surging aura around them subconsciously subdued, for fear of disturbing the Ancestor's thoughts.

The chaotic energy at the tip of the Black Profound Immortal's fingertip suddenly exploded, transforming into a miniature nebula, which then instantly solidified into a black lotus seed: "Four hundred billion years ago, Black Flame Boy had just left the Obsidian Continent, and on the same day, Black Cloud Boy left the Myriad Treasures Hall. Don't you think that's a coincidence?"

"It seems it really was them!" A third-rank True Immortal in a red robe couldn't help but exclaim. The flames around him surged with excitement, but when they touched the cold air, they hissed and retreated, turning into sparks. "But with their cultivation, how could they suppress the Black Moon Ancestor? Even if they launched a sneak attack when the Black Moon was off guard, with their strength, it would be extremely difficult to break through the 'Star Moon Diagram's' defense!"

"Besides, the discord between Hei Yan and Hei Xiao is common knowledge throughout the clan," another third-rank True Immortal in purple robes interjected, his brows furrowed, the star patterns embroidered on his robes dimming slightly with his unease. "If it weren't for our intervention, they would have already completely broken off relations and fought to the death. How could these two irreconcilable people possibly join forces? Surely... their battles over the past hundred cosmic eras have all been a charade for us?"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell into a deathly silence; even the faint sound of ice crystals colliding could be clearly heard. The True Immortal Ancestors exchanged bewildered glances—if it was truly an act, then the forbearance and cunning of these two were terrifying enough to have deceived the entire clan for so many years.

"Furthermore, if they truly had this intention, why didn't they act sooner?" The voice of the Black Spring Ancestor carried a hint of confusion, and gray mist swirled in his palm, seemingly trying to devour all doubts. "In the last cosmic era, it was Black Cloud brat who guarded the Myriad Treasures Hall. Back then, it would have been a hundred times easier to plunder the treasure vault than now. Why wait until today?"

A series of questions shrouded everyone's minds like a thick fog, impossible to dispel. The chill on the top floor of the Wanbao Hall seemed to intensify, even the sunlight that pierced through the hall was frozen into a pale white, falling to the ground like a layer of shattered ice.

......

After a few breaths.

The Black Abyss Ancestor uttered a soft whisper, as light as wind blowing through black mist, yet it shattered the deathly silence in the hall like a thunderclap: "Could it be... that someone is impersonating Black Cloud and Black Flame?"

Instantly, all the attention of the True Immortal Ancestors was drawn to it, and their eyes turned to the Black Abyss Ancestor with surprise and inquiry, as if they had grasped a glimmer of light in the darkness.

"Impersonate? How is that possible!" Old Ancestor Black Spring was the first to refute, his gray mist surging violently. "The Obsidian Continent has long been sealed off by the 'Guardian Array,' and with the Ancestor's divine sense monitoring the barrier, even a Seventh-Rank True Immortal would have no chance of infiltrating silently! Unless it's an Eighth-Rank or Ninth-Rank True Immortal... But if such beings really wanted to target my Obsidian Clan, why would they need to go to such lengths? They could just ask us to hand over the treasure vault, and would we dare say a single 'no'?"

In the ancient immortal realm, strength reigns supreme, and the powerful act with unbridled abandon. So what if they seize by force? Without the strength to contend with them, no matter how much resentment or dissatisfaction they harbor, they must endure it, not daring to utter a single utterance.

Otherwise, they will face only one fate: extinction of their race and destruction of thousands of cosmic eras of heritage.

“No.” Another third-rank True Immortal, dressed in black robes, suddenly spoke up, his voice carrying a hint of solemnity. The skull pattern embroidered on his black robes appeared even more sinister in the cold air, as if it had come alive. “Have you all forgotten that mysterious True Immortal? If he can infiltrate my Obsidian Continent with a True Immortal avatar without being detected, there’s no doubt he has a second or third avatar. It’s not impossible for him to capture Hei Xiao and Hei Yan without anyone noticing; then, using Hei Xiao’s identity to approach the Myriad Treasures Hall, he can launch a sneak attack on the Black Moon Ancestor when he’s off guard… With that mysterious True Immortal’s abilities, he might be able to capture him before the Black Moon even realizes what’s happening!”

These words caused silence to fall again in the hall, but this time, the eyes of the True Immortals, including Black Profound Immortal, showed a hint of wavering.

"If everything is as Brother Heizang said, and that person was able to take down Hei Yan and the others without anyone noticing, then could he also take down others and replace them?"

......