If that thing were hers, wouldn’t she keep it with her at all times?

Therefore, considering all these details, Li An realized that there was someone else behind her, someone who controlled the lid of the Heaven-Devouring Demon Pot. Shangguan Shengxian was likely also under their control!

"Is that person trying to find me?"

Li An continued to analyze.

Shangguan Shengxian’s actions that day were very strange.

Li An activated the Demon Summoning Array, which was an obvious warning to her, yet she still came.

Even after Leng Rufeng intervened and demanded she hand over the lid of the Heaven-Devouring Demon Pot, she already knew at that moment that the Gong Clan didn’t have the lid!

Yet she still didn’t leave.

This indicates that her target wasn’t the lid.

It could only be a person...

Who?

Li An remembered the times in the Spirit Realm when he held that demon pot lid multiple times. Each time he held it, he felt an irresistible temptation, as if it wanted him to take the lid and become its master...

Looking back now, was someone scheming against him?!

If that’s really the case, everything makes sense.

Shangguan Shengxian discovered him but didn’t capture him directly. Instead, she attacked the people of the Gong Clan, which clearly gave him an opportunity... to escape!

She and Li An shared no sentiments, only endless hatred and conflict. There could only be one explanation for why she gave Li An this chance—

She had to capture Li An, but if she actually did capture him...

She might also die.

Or rather, a living, uncaptured Li An was more beneficial to her!

That’s why she acted in such a way.

In fact, her situation at the time was quite similar to Li An’s.

Both were being forced by someone, compelled to act, both hoping the other would quickly flee to avoid implicating themselves.

So, these two great enemies actually did the same thing... warning each other.

It’s simply ridiculous.

...

Having figured all this out, Li An felt an inexplicable pressure weighing upon him.

What kind of existence wants to trap him?

One so powerful that even someone as formidable as Shangguan Shengxian is helpless and must obey...

Someone who can control the Heaven-Devouring Demon Pot...

Could it be the legendary Heaven-Devouring Great Demon?!

It’s uncertain.

But the only thing certain is that the opponent is extremely powerful!

However, the opponent should also be under some constraint, unable to act directly, which is why they need Shangguan Shengxian...

And Shangguan Shengxian, at least for now, doesn’t really want to capture Li An.

This is his only comfort.

"No, I must cultivate urgently..."

In the face of danger, the only solution is to strengthen oneself.

...

Many days later, Zhao Qingtong casually arranged for two disciples to send the now seemingly dazed and foolish Li An to the site of divine descent.

...

Upon entering the site of divine descent, there was already a hunchbacked old man waiting, holding a grey lantern that emitted a dim grey light. He glanced at Li An and nodded, saying, "Good, leave the lamp keeper to me, you can go back now."

The two disciples left, and the lamp keeper stuffed a grey ribbon into Li An’s hand, saying, "Follow me and don’t wander off, or you won’t be found!"

With a sweep of his lantern, the space before Li An changed instantly.

A grey path appeared before him, leading to a small shrine, inside of which was the bronze lantern he had seen before.

On either side of the path lay an invisible abyss of grey, as if from another world. One wrong step would plunge him into eternal ruin.

Only then did Li An realize the scene he saw before from the second layer was separated by such a great distance from reality.

Looking with the naked eye, he had thought he could reach the bronze lantern with just a thought, but in truth, a guide was necessary. Approaching recklessly would result in being consumed by the grey abyss.

He couldn’t help but feel deeply grateful!

Feigning a blank, empty demeanor, he followed the hunchbacked elder onto the grey path, as if re-entering the deceit realm. Around him, he seemed to hear countless shadows and murmurs, though he could neither see clearly nor listen clearly.

The closer he got to the bronze lantern, the more active his Life Seed became!

"Do you feel life slipping away?"

The elder asked with a sneer, "The fire of time is burning, all living beings approaching will have their life force and longevity scorched. You’re now at the Profound Immortal Realm, possessing at least ten thousand years of life, but alas, once inside the shrine, surviving thirty years would be difficult!"

Li An had already conducted preliminary research on the scenario of being a lamp keeper, and he knew that typically, for the lamp keeper facing the bronze lantern, it was nothing short of torture and torment.

The bronze lantern burned Immortal Dao Dao Fruits, and its flames burned both the lamp keeper’s life force and lifespan; their measly existence was like a basin of clear water under the scorching sun!

Wouldn’t last long.

So the lamp keeper would die very quickly.

But the elder could never have expected that Li An felt the opposite, rather looking forward to it under the influence of the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill.

Finally, the elder led him into the shrine.

The shrine was not large, no more than twenty steps in width, and besides the lamp, there was nothing else.

The bronze lantern was burning the myriad Immortal Dao Dao Fruits from the era of the Heavenly Court, producing vast amounts of life force and the power of time, which transformed into black smoke flowing towards the statue, and to the past. Just by approaching, Li An felt his cultivation speed under the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill was dozens of times faster than usual!