NOVPUBActually, strictly speaking, Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi were not members of the United Federation of All Realms.
They were merely part of its predecessor, the Misthaven Cooperative Union.
Ever since the Misthaven Cooperative Union was annihilated by the Dharma Transmitters, they had lost contact with Li Fan.
It was only their steadfast faith in the Crimson Compassionate Immortal that allowed them to sense, albeit vaguely, the existence of the Union.
Now that the Union had been destroyed, as long as they didn’t speak of it, the fact that they had once received great kindness from the Union would never be exposed.
Unfortunately, these two were truly temperamental.
After hearing the announcement from the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals to eradicate the Union, they didn’t hide or fear but instead tried to assassinate Cultivators of the Alliance with all their might.
Even though they knew that under the divine power of the Transcendence Heavenly Sovereign, Cultivators would resurrect upon death, they still insisted on doing this to repay the kindness they had received from Li Fan.
In this life, both received guidance from Li Fan, with Dao Xuanzi establishing his foundation with the Ocean Pearl and Kou Hong with the Hundred Thousand Mountain Tripod. Their progress over the years had been remarkable, having already reached Mid Stage Golden Core Cultivation.
However, in the face of the enormous entity that was the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, they were nothing but ants. After only killing a dozen or so insignificant Immortal Alliance Cultivators, they were quickly surrounded by the Protector Monks sent by the Alliance.
Dao Xuanzi, unwilling to be a prisoner, laughed heartily as he self-destructed and died.
Kou Hong had initially wanted to follow in Dao Xuanzi’s footsteps but was stopped by the Immortal Alliance Cultivators.
After his arms were cut off and one eye destroyed, he was sent by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals to the Dark Prison to be suppressed for eternity.
"Enjoy your bluster while you still can. I hope that after experiencing the torture of the Array Technique here, you’ll still be just as tough," said the Cultivator of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals escorting Kou Hong, with a cold smile, in the face of Kou Hong’s relentless insults.
Kou Hong continued to curse incessantly.
What happened to Kou Hong next even surprised Li Fan.
Li Fan was all too aware of the power of the Array Techniques within the high pillars of the Dark Prison. Ordinary people subjected to such endless torture simply could not endure for long. They would instinctively cry out and beg for mercy.
But Kou Hong, even when tortured to the brink of death, his consciousness blurred,
the faint sounds of cursing never ceased from his mouth.
"This is partly due to the brainwashing by the Faceless True Immortal, but it also had a lot to do with Kou Hong’s own resolute will. Once he decided on something, he had to see it through to the end, even at the cost of his life, without any regrets,"
When Li Fan first met them, they only had to join the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals and work like slaves for over a decade to earn a Golden Core Technique. Yet they refused, preferring to risk their lives exploring Sect Ruins.
After later finding the Nascent Soul True Technique, the two close as brothers fought to the death over a slim chance of ascending to the Dao.
And in this life, being saved by Li Fan from the Mutated Immortal Epidemic, then joining the cooperative, and becoming sincere seekers of the Path under the Crimson Compassionate Immortal.
...
These incidents all illustrate their characters well.
"He is malleable talent that could serve me well. At the very least, he should be more useful than those so-called geniuses," thought Li Fan as he watched Kou Hong, who still showed determination on his face despite being unconscious. A hint of appreciation flickered in his eyes.
In this life, as the Spirit Tree Realm was on the brink of destruction and Li Fan led the Union members to escape, he registered the conduct of everyone.
Those cultivators lured away by Shang Tianci, even though they had sworn oaths before the Statue of the Faceless True Immortal, did not show the will to live or die with the Union when push came to shove.
Instead, they showed regret, a desire to run away, or to surrender.
In terms of loyalty alone, they fell far short of Kou Hong.
With this thought, a hardly noticeable light passed through the bars of the cage, flying towards the unconscious Kou Hong nearby.
The fierce expression on Kou Hong’s face noticeably relaxed.
And when Kou Hong regained consciousness to find something new in his Spirit Consciousness, his eyes immediately revealed a trace of surprise.
However, he still pretended to be defiant, angrily denouncing all the shameless acts of the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals.
At the same time, he began to study the knowledge he had just acquired.
"Is this…"
"A detailed explanation of Array Techniques?"
"And it’s the one that constitutes the prison cage of the Dark Prison?"
"How could it appear in my Spirit Consciousness?"
After a good while, Kou Hong’s heart shook violently, as he forcibly restrained the impulse to probe around.
"If this detailed explanation of the Array Technique is true, then my escape from here would be as easy as flipping one’s hand."
Kou Hong, having been through too much, was much more composed than in the past.
He didn’t take it at face value but decided to delve into the content of this detailed explanation of the Array Technique first.
Although he had only learned the basics of Array Techniques before, the explanation was straightforward and easy to understand, and Kou Hong’s own talents were not lacking.
Seven days later, Kou Hong had just managed to grasp the basics.
At the same time, a trace of suspicion flashed through his mind: "Could it be a trap?"
"This is clearly a place the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals uses to imprison serious offenders; how could the guarding Array Technique be so simple? I, a beginner, have only studied it for a few days and am able to decipher it?"
Kou Hong quietly tried to break the Array.
At this moment, his body was extremely weak and his Spiritual Power was severely suppressed, unable to be utilized. But Kou Hong, relying on the Spiritual Power fluctuations exerted with all his might, managed to have a slight impact on this prison Array.
What this brought about was that when the Dark Prison Prison Soldier activated the Array again to torture Kou Hong, the pain he felt was lessened by a few degrees!
"Could it really be true?" Kou Hong, despite the pain, felt a surge of ecstasy in his heart.
But he quickly calmed down and began to ponder the origin of the detailed explanation of the Array Technique in his Spirit Consciousness.
"As a mere Golden Core Cultivator, the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals has no need to play a role with me."
"And the level of expertise shown in this Array Technique explanation far exceeds that of the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals…"
A sacred name suddenly appeared in Kou Hong’s mind.
"Crimson Compassionate Immortal."
At the same time, a warm current emerged within Kou Hong’s body, circulating through his limbs and bones.
It instantly removed the Alliance’s Forbidden Formation, nourishing and repairing Kou Hong’s damaged body, while also rapidly enhancing his Cultivation Base.
Feeling the earth-shaking changes inside his body, Kou Hong’s body stiffened, daring not to show any abnormality for fear of being discovered by others.
In reality, his heart was already brimming with tears.
The great and merciful Crimson Compassionate Immortal had not abandoned him!
"The Union has fallen, and there might not be many followers of True Immortals left in this world."
"I am trapped deep within this prison, yet the True Immortal suddenly bestowed upon me a way to escape…"
As he thought, a light suddenly shone in Kou Hong’s eyes.
He hastily bowed his head to hide the excitement in his heart: "I understand now. The Alliance’s destruction of the Union, this enmity is unrivaled under the heavens!"
"The so-called enemy of my enemy is my friend. Those imprisoned here are all mortal enemies of the Alliance. If I set them all free…"
