This is a very strange space, encased in a transparent film of light. The entire space is vast and empty, devoid of any decoration.
Outside the light film lies a darkness, like outer space, where scattered starlight can be seen.
Upon entering this place, Li Xiaotian looked around curiously, his heart filled with wonder.
Had he arrived in outer space? But it didn't seem like it. Where was Earth?
At this moment, Anan appeared as an ordinary monk, calmly seated at the very center of this space.
After observing his surroundings for a moment, Li Xiaotian collected his thoughts and respectfully approached Anan.
"Bodhisattva, I have caused you trouble this time," Li Xiaotian said apologetically, his expression one of contrition. He was referring to the events at the Buddhist sect that day. Although he felt he was not at fault, he maintained the proper attitude.
"It is nothing, sit!" Anan's tone was calm. A meditation cushion materialized from thin air beneath Li Xiaotian's feet.
"Thank you, Bodhisattva." Li Xiaotian sat down cross-legged, feeling a knot of apprehension in his heart as he awaited Anan's words.
However, to his surprise, after waiting for a considerable time, perhaps ten minutes, Anan remained motionless, seemingly having forgotten Li Xiaotian, his eyes closed in meditation.
Li Xiaotian glanced at him with some confusion, inwardly wondering what Anan's purpose was in summoning him only to remain silent.
Despite his inner musings, Li Xiaotian showed no outward sign of impatience. He sat cross-legged on the ground, waiting patiently.
Time seemed to lose its meaning here. Li Xiaotian felt as if he had been waiting for a long time, yet also felt that his time in this place had been very brief.
Gradually, his impatience began to grow. He was not a person who enjoyed silence, and he felt restless and uncomfortable, like a man sitting on pins and needles.
He kept looking at Anan, and several times he considered speaking first, but he did not know what to say.
After an indeterminate period, Li Xiaotian felt he could bear it no longer. Just as he was about to speak, Anan opened his eyes.
"Bodhisattva." Li Xiaotian blurted out instinctively, forcing a smile onto his face. If the other party didn't speak soon, he felt he would go mad.
But to his surprise, Anan merely smiled faintly, his gaze fixed on Li Xiaotian, still silent.
Under Anan's gaze, Li Xiaotian felt as if he were being seen through, all his secrets laid bare.
*Hum!*
Within Li Xiaotian's body, the Demonic Sword vibrated slightly, as if in fear.
Cold sweat began to trickle down Li Xiaotian's forehead. He felt his back was already drenched, his entire body tense.
What did he want? Li Xiaotian wondered, feeling utterly exasperated. He had been summoned, but no words were spoken. What was the meaning of this?
"Alas! You have truly fallen." Anan suddenly sighed, a look of disappointment on his face as he withdrew his gaze from Li Xiaotian.
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaotian's hair stood on end, his scalp tingling. Who had fallen? Was the Bodhisattva referring to the Demon Lord?
"Bodhisattva, who are you speaking of? Is it the Demon Lord?" Li Xiaotian asked, his voice laced with apprehension. He was extremely nervous, unsure if Anan could see through the Demon Lord's disguise at such close proximity.
"Yes, can you tell me how you obtained the Demon Lord's inheritance?" Anan asked, his tone calm.
Li Xiaotian quickly recounted everything that had happened in the Demon Palace, including the Demon Lord being ambushed by a mysterious entity, though he omitted certain details, such as the demonic orb within his body.
"Traitor!" Upon hearing Li Xiaotian's words, a sharp glint flashed in Anan's eyes.
Instantly, Li Xiaotian felt as if he were a blade of grass in a storm, on the verge of destruction. He felt like an animal encountering its natural predator, his body turning cold, feeling as if he were about to die.
However, the terrifying sense of oppression vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He knew why Anan had lost his composure. It was because of the Demon Lord's words: there was a traitor among the human race! And that traitor was the one who had ambushed the Demon Lord!
"Do not spread word of this matter," Anan admonished, his demeanor returning to its usual calm.
Li Xiaotian nodded quickly. How could he possibly spread such a thing? Would he not be inviting his own demise? If not for the Bodhisattva's status as a supreme expert, he would never have revealed these details today.
"Bodhisattva, why is he a traitor? Who is the enemy? Is that traitor an invincible one?" Li Xiaotian couldn't help but ask, his mind filled with speculation. He had his suspicions, but they were mere guesses. The person before him clearly knew all the truths, everything.
"Betraying our world makes one a traitor," Anan stated. He paused for a moment before continuing, "To make the Demon Lord fall silently, it could only have been an invincible expert."
These two sentences answered Li Xiaotian's questions, aligning closely with his own conjectures. However, hearing it confirmed by Anan, a supreme expert, still stirred something within Li Xiaotian.
Invincible! An invincible expert had betrayed this world! And killed the Demon Lord!!!
Li Xiaotian suppressed the turmoil in his heart, forcing himself to remain calm and analyze the situation. At the end of the ancient era, all invincible experts had disappeared. According to the information he had received from Granny Yue'e, those invincible experts had left this world, presumably to fight. Alternatively, they might have been defending against external enemies, preventing them from entering this world. In any case, those who left never returned. They might have been in a perpetual war, or they might have all perished.
However, there was one exception: an invincible expert who did not leave at that time, who did not join the expeditionary force, but instead hid somewhere in this world and killed the Demon Lord.
It was like Li Xiaotian's Dragon King Hall. One day, all the Emperor-level cultivators were to go on an expedition, but one Emperor-level cultivator remained behind. According to the rules of the Dragon King Hall, this remaining Emperor-level cultivator would be considered a deserter, a traitor!
At this thought, Li Xiaotian was suddenly struck by a flash of inspiration. That traitor had killed the Demon Lord, so could they not also kill others? The Demon Lord was merely one of them!
The thought made Li Xiaotian's mind feel as if it were exploding. He knew he was attempting to probe into matters he shouldn't, touching upon the greatest conspiracy in this world to date. With his current strength, he was playing with fire! He was courting his own death!
"Amitabha!" Anan suddenly chanted a Buddhist invocation.
Li Xiaotian felt an instant sense of relief wash over his mind. All his distracting thoughts vanished in that moment, replaced by an overwhelming sense of peace.
"Do not think too much about certain matters. With your current strength, the more you know, the more dangerous it becomes," Anan said unhurriedly.
"Thank you, Bodhisattva." Li Xiaotian responded quickly, a sense of gratitude welling up within him. He knew he had been playing with fire. With his current strength, the existence of the traitor was far beyond his reach.
"Did you come to Fo State for the Buddhist sect's Pure Heart Mantra?" Anan inquired.
"Yes, I implore the Bodhisattva's assistance!" Li Xiaotian admitted directly. The Demon Lord had attempted to infiltrate the Buddhist sect to obtain the Pure Heart Mantra in the past, so it was natural for Anan to know his purpose.