Life span plundered, I became a detective and achieved immortality

The Old Ancestor of the Ends of the Earth and True Immortal Yunhan exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of panic and uncertainty in each other's eyes. The newly ignited flame of hope seemed to be shrouded in a thick shadow, flickering precariously, as if it could be extinguished at any moment.

How could one encounter a Ninth-Rank True Immortal so easily? They are beings that billions of cultivators across the Nine Domains Continent look up to, appearing only once every million years. Not to mention that the six True Immortals, including the Crimson Fire Old Monster, thought it impossible for True Immortal Huanglong to be one, even they themselves felt that the hope was as slim as a candle in the wind—if Fellow Daoist Huanglong were truly a Ninth-Rank True Immortal, why would he need to condescend to form an alliance with them and go to such lengths to besiege and kill a mere Crimson Fire Old Monster?

at this time......

Huanglong Zhenren's lips curled up slightly, a strange arc flashing across them. His voice was neither loud nor soft, carrying a hint of amusement, yet it entered the ears of every True Immortal present as clearly as a booming bell: "Ninth-Rank True Immortal? Coincidentally, I really am one."

"A ninth-grade True Immortal, you?" True Immortal Qingming sneered as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, his face full of mockery and disdain. "Huanglong, Huanglong, you're about to die, and you still resort to such petty tricks. How amusing..."

However, before he could finish speaking, his voice abruptly stopped, his pupils suddenly contracted, and the disdain and mockery on his face were instantly replaced by a deep-seated fear. His mouth was slightly open, but he couldn't make a sound, as if an invisible hand was choking him.

A terrifying, suffocating pressure, like an ancient behemoth awakening after sleeping for billions of years, surged forth from Huanglong Zhenren! That pressure was not the overwhelming power of an eighth-grade true immortal, but rather carried an indifferent and majestic air that looked down upon all living beings, as if the rules of heaven and earth bowed down to his aura, and even the void was pressed down slightly.

"Om..."

In just a moment, the innate Five Elements Grand Array, which was formed by five eighth-grade True Immortal artifacts as array eyes and interwoven with the rules of the Five Elements, and could even trap a peak eighth-grade True Immortal for a short while, was like a glass cup struck by a heavy hammer. Its surface was instantly covered with spider web-like cracks, and then with a crisp "crack", it was completely shattered!

The golden spears shattered, the vines withered, the water evaporated, the flames died down, and the earth collapsed—the five divine lights vanished like burst bubbles, and the heavy Five Elements Barrier instantly crumbled, turning into countless points of light that disappeared into the void, leaving not even a trace of energy behind.

“Ah…Pfft…”

The five eighth-rank True Immortals outside the formation were struck as if by a heavy blow. They all spat out a mouthful of blood essence, staggered backward, and their faces were filled with disbelief and horror. The arrogance and composure in their eyes had vanished.

"This pressure... a ninth-grade True Immortal! It really is a ninth-grade True Immortal!" Old Monster Crimson Fire clutched his chest, his voice trembling with fear. The Thirty-Sixth Grade Blood Prison Red Lotus in his hand shook violently and almost fell to the ground. It was no longer as arrogant as before. The Blood Prison Red Lotus seemed to sense its master's fear, and its red light dimmed considerably.

What terrified them even more was that the oppressive aura continued to rise, layer upon layer like towering waves, seemingly without end. Every breath that landed made their immortal bones creak, their primordial spirits tremble violently in their sea of ​​consciousness, as if they were about to collapse at any moment, and even their immortal souls trembled.

"No...not just the initial stage...this kind of pressure...is at least mid-ninth rank! Even...even possibly late-ninth rank!" The late-stage eighth rank True Immortal's face was ashen, his burly body bent further under the pressure, his knees trembling uncontrollably, almost collapsing to his knees.

A late-stage Ninth-Rank True Immortal is considered one of the best among all Ninth-Rank True Immortals, practically standing at the very top of the pyramid of the Nine Domains Continent.

An overwhelming sense of panic, like a surging tide, instantly engulfed their hearts. The gazes of the five True Immortals all turned to Qingming True Immortal, their eyes filled with resentment and questioning—this is what you meant by "knowing his background"? This is what you guaranteed was "just an ordinary mid-stage eighth-rank cultivator"?

If they hadn't made a solemn oath under the witness of the Nine Realms' Origin Will, they would have suspected that this old man Qingming had been playing a trick on them from beginning to end, deliberately luring them in so that he could use this Yellow Dragon True Immortal to get rid of them!

The Azure Nether True Immortal felt a chill run down his spine from that gaze, nearly losing his balance and collapsing to the ground, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word. He never imagined that the "ally" he had painstakingly cultivated was actually a hidden ninth-rank True Immortal! At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind: It's over, utterly over. This time, he had personally pushed himself into an abyss of no return!

Some are happy, some are sad; such is the way of the world, and this time the reversal is even more pronounced.

The old ancestor of the world had his purple hair flying wildly, and the starlight around him re-condensed, even more dazzling than before, like the Milky Way hanging upside down. He looked at the back of the Yellow Dragon True Man, his eyes filled with awe and gratitude—if this big shot hadn't hidden his strength, they would have died today without even a chance to be reincarnated!

Ignoring the excruciating pain in his back, Yun Han Zhenxian wore a relieved smile, though his breath was still weak, his eyes shone with an astonishing light. Looking at his panicked enemies, the pent-up hatred in his heart finally found an outlet, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Crimson Flame Old Monster, Azure Nether Old Ghost… you've finally met your match!"

Upon hearing this, the five True Immortals of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth finally regained a sliver of clarity from their extreme fear—now was not the time for them to blame each other; they had to leave, they had to leave immediately! Otherwise, they would surely perish here today.

A ninth-grade True Immortal, especially one who might even reach the late stage, is no match for even seven eighth-grade True Immortals working together. They wouldn't stand a chance. As for the Crimson Flame Monster and the Azure Nether Elder within the formation… well, they'd better pray for their own good fortune.

"Better to die than to die myself." They were barely able to save themselves, so how could they care about the lives of others? Besides, they were only temporarily united for mutual benefit and had no real friendship. In particular, they had a considerable grudge against that old man Qingming, and now they were even more eager for him to die.

Almost simultaneously, the five eighth-grade True Immortals unleashed their trump cards: the golden-armored True Immortal tore through space, transforming into a golden streak of light and hurtling towards the sky at incredible speed; the green-robed elder activated his innate spiritual root, countless vines carrying him as he fled towards the illusory forest, attempting to blend into nature and conceal his whereabouts; the woman in the blue dress merged with the laws of water, transforming into a clear spring and disappearing into the earth without a trace; the red-haired youth burned his essence and blood, transforming into a ball of raging fire and rushing towards the other side of the volcano, his flames filled with determination; and the last eighth-grade late-stage True Immortal stomped his foot and sank into the earth, attempting to escape using earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a technique that allows one to escape through earth-based means), his figure quickly disappearing into the rock strata.

However, as soon as they moved, their expressions changed drastically. A deeper despair, like ink dripping into clear water, instantly enveloped their hearts, even causing the flow of their True Immortal power to become somewhat sluggish.

Unbeknownst to them, the Four Symbols Suppressing Immortals Formation, which had originally trapped the Crimson Fire Old Monster, had quietly expanded, enveloping the five True Immortals as well!

The Azure Dragon in the East shone with gleaming scales and claws, its azure divine light descending like a celestial curtain, containing the ever-flowing laws of the Wood element; the White Tiger in the West roared at the moon, its silver claws tearing through the void, carrying the indestructible energy of Geng Metal; the Vermilion Bird in the South flapped its wings, its Southern Bright Fire burning away all escape routes, the flames containing the power to purify everything; the Black Tortoise in the North lay dormant, the star patterns on its tortoise shell lighting up, sealing the earth tightly, so thick that even space itself could hardly penetrate it.

What terrified them even more was that the power of the Four Divine Beasts was more than ten times greater than before! The aura emanating from each divine beast was as heavy as a prison, giving them a suffocating feeling as if they were facing a Ninth-Rank True Immortal. With each breath of the Azure Dragon, the Wood Element rules transformed into a cage, binding and sealing off the void; when the White Tiger swung its claws, the Metal Element Qi condensed into a celestial net, its meshes gleaming with sharp light; with each cry of the Vermilion Bird, the Flame Element rules burned through the void, turning everything in their path into scorched earth; where the Black Tortoise slumbered, the Earth Element rules locked everything in place, even the soil becoming harder than immortal metal.

Such a terrifying array would require considerable effort even for a ninth-grade True Immortal to forcibly break. Let alone for eighth-grade True Immortals like themselves, who might not even be able to budge it an inch even after a year or two.

But will the Yellow Dragon Immortal give them that time?

Let alone a year or two, they might not even be able to survive a single day against a late-stage ninth-rank True Immortal!

"It's over...it's completely over!" The Golden-Armored Immortal crashed into the barrier formed by the Azure Dragon Divine Light. The golden light dissipated, and he coughed up blood while clutching his chest. The last glimmer of hope in his eyes was extinguished, leaving only endless darkness.

The old man in green robes had his vines snapped inch by inch under the white tiger's claws, making a crisp "crack" sound. He looked at the dense, impenetrable light of the Four Symbols around him, his withered face drained of color, and his deep eyes were filled with nothing but despair. Even his lips were trembling unconsciously.

The woman in the blue dress, who had transformed into a spring, crashed into the Xuanwu tortoise shell and was bounced back to her original position, reforming into human form. She looked at the figure of Huanglong Zhenren, who stood with his hands behind his back, and pleaded with a sob in her voice, "Senior, have mercy... This junior is willing to offer all my treasures, just beg you to spare my life... I will repay your kindness in not killing me in the future!"

The red-haired youth's flames were suppressed by the Vermilion Bird True Fire, burning futilely in place with crackling sounds. His eyes were filled with madness and despair, and he even showed signs of self-destruction, but the Vermilion Bird True Fire held him firmly in place, unable to ignite even a trace of his True Immortal essence. The late-stage eighth-rank True Immortal emerged from the ground, looking at the star patterns that lit up beneath his feet. His burly body swayed, and finally, unable to hold on any longer, he collapsed to his knees with a thud, his forehead pressed against the scorching rock, completely giving up resistance.

In the center of the great formation, True Man Huanglong slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the five trapped True Immortals like two golden rainbows, a cold smile curving his lips: "Since you're here, why are you in such a hurry to leave, fellow Daoists? I haven't even had a chance to present you with the 'grand gift' I prepared for you yet."

As he spoke, Huanglong Zhenren waved his hand, and the light of the Four Symbols Suppressing Immortals Formation became even more intense. The phantoms of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise roared simultaneously, and the terrifying power of the laws began to contract inward, compressing the activity range of the five True Immortals little by little, making their auras increasingly weak.

Seeing this desperate scene, Qingming Zhenxian could no longer hold on. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground like a rag doll, letting out a shrill cry: "Huanglong Dao... Senior Huanglong, please understand! This junior has never betrayed you or my two fellow Daoists. In fact, I deliberately feigned surrender to infiltrate the enemy ranks and act as your inside agent, all to lure them into this trap so that you could capture all these villains in one fell swoop!"

He cried and crawled on his knees, trying to get closer to Huanglong Zhenren, a fawning smile on his face, but a hint of desperate madness hidden in his eyes, as if he could save his life if he played the role to the end and told the lie convincingly enough.

......