Chapter 421-425: Returning to the Mystical Yellow Realm After Eight Years (6.5k words)

To move the entire world requires immense power.

Only the "Heavenly Alliance," which dominates the Mystical Yellow Realm, can integrate all resources.

Relying on the extraordinary planning and deduction abilities of the Heavenly Mirror, perhaps it's the only way to achieve this.

As a result, the Immortal Lords of Changsheng Heaven turned a blind eye to the actions of the Heavenly Mirror, even actively facilitating the merger of the Wanxian Alliance and the Five Elders' Council, explaining their indifference.

Because, once successful, they would completely rid themselves of the threat of the Immortal Realm.

The vast void became a carefree place.

No need to stay confined to the small Mystical Yellow Realm.

What concern do Immortal Lords have for the life and death of cultivators?

Even if unsuccessful, it wouldn't be much loss for the Immortal Lords.

In essence, the Heavenly Alliance isn't solely about slaughtering cultivators but suppressing all cultivators maintaining the "Weight" of the Mystical Yellow Realm within the "Eternal Immortal Wall."

No need to bother regulating the number of cultivators; perhaps the Immortal Lords find it more convenient!

Regarding the departure of the Mystical Net from the Immortal Realm, whether it was successful...

Li Fan leans towards it being successful.

Because in the previous life, before he truly became aware, after nearly a thousand years of silence, he keenly felt vitality returning to the Mystical Yellow Realm.

The long-lost sunlight reappeared.

Although most creatures in the world were extinct, the world itself was rejuvenated.

Li Fan didn't believe that the Mystical Yellow Realm could only revive after a thousand years of silence in the Immortal Realm.

If that were the case, the so-called Immortal Realm wouldn't have made the Immortal Lords so wary.

"For cultivators, the Mystical Net is undoubtedly unforgivable."

"But, in a sense, it saved the Mystical Yellow Realm."

"It also cleansed all the cultivators."

"Perhaps because of this, when the Mystical Net represented heaven, the celestial laws of this realm didn't fiercely resist."

After contemplating for a while, Li Fan slowly suppressed these thoughts for now.

"Besides these inevitable events, there are also many other matters evolving due to the influence of the Mystical Net."

"Everything originated from my killing of the giant glass fish and subsequently orchestrating the Tianling Grass incident."

"The Tianlingzhou Grand Battle, which shouldn't have happened, had a profound impact on both the Wanxian Alliance and the Five Elders' Council."

"The Five Elders' Council vaguely sensed the disappearance of the Transmission Law Immortal, continuously probing in the days that followed."

"Faced with the pressure from the Five Elders' Council, for self-preservation, the Wanxian Alliance created the monstrous Heavenly Mirror Sealing Array."

"Perhaps even without the Tianlingzhou Grand Battle, there would still be battles like the Tianpanzhou and Jiushanzhou Grand Battles."

"But the timing of the wars may lead to entirely different future outcomes."

"Countless futures, infinite possibilities."

"The birth of the Mystical Net is just one of them."

"The world after the widespread use of the Mystical Net is extremely dangerous for cultivators."

"A slight mistake, and they could be captured in the 'Eternal Immortal Wall,' unsuitable for cultivation."

"It seems that in this world, I have to find a way to prevent its birth."

Li Fan contemplated silently.

"However, whether it's the Tianling Grass incident or the widespread use of the Sealing Array, as someone who foresaw it, I can benefit from it."

"Giving up is not an option."

"Since that's the case..."

After a brief contemplation, Li Fan instantly had an idea.

"Balance and mutual influence; let the overall situation be stable."

"The Mystical Yellow Realm should not be too chaotic!"

Looking back at the previous life, the next step is to plan for this life.

The goal is clear: achieve the Nascent Soul Realm.

Before the Tianlingzhou Grand Battle, cultivate to the perfect Golden Core stage.

After the Five Elements Grand Celestial Worlds are relocated, explore the void where five elemental Celestial Worlds can continuously evolve.

If possible, break through based on this foundation.

If not, find a way to obtain the Five Elements Grand Celestial Worlds from the Wanxian Alliance.

"However, before that, there is one thing to do."

Li Fan flew onto the sea of clouds, bathed in the morning glow.

With a clear mind, he activated the "Vast Sky Profound Tranquility," a secret technique obtained from Zhang Qianmo in the previous life.

Li Fan hadn't forgotten that traces left by "It" from the Source Dao Realm still lingered on him.

Although Li Fan vaguely felt that, with his constant transformations and reincarnations, these traces might have already disappeared.

However, an additional precaution is not a bad idea.

As the secret technique operated, Li Fan felt his consciousness soaring continuously.

Ascending all the way, piercing through the sky, he arrived at a sacred and unspeakable place.

No other existence was present.

Only the vast and profound meaning of heaven and earth filled the space.

This immense and pure aura, like flowing water, cleansed Li Fan's soul.

Gradually, Li Fan became immersed in it.

Due to the influence of "It" from Dao Yuanzhou and the psychological shadow caused by the Heavenly Doctor, gradually dissipated.

Even the vicissitudes brought by three thousand years of transformation began to fade away.

...

Anchor set for three years.

Li Fan put away the supernatural ability, feeling his mind transparent and his whole body relaxed.

"The secret transmission of the Purple Sky Sect is indeed extraordinary."

Li Fan nodded in satisfaction.

Casually glancing at the True Panel, he was pleasantly surprised.

Because he suddenly discovered that the recharging speed of "True" was much faster than before.

"It originally required nearly nine years, but now, it will probably only take a little over seven years to complete the recharge."

"It seems that the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Spell, inverting cultivation to strengthen the soul, is indeed useful."

"Faster recharging means I can leave Da Xuan after anchoring for eight years and head to the Mystical Yellow Realm."

"It coincides with the Ten-Year Recruitment Examination of the Wanxian Alliance..."

Li Fan smiled faintly, pondered for a moment, and made a slight adjustment to his plan.

Afterward, he descended the mountain as usual and visited the tomb of Yi Yin.

Taking out the Transformation Stone, he absorbed it slowly while waiting for the completion of True's recharge.

Soon, eight years of anchoring arrived.

Before departing, Li Fan opened the True Panel.

Name: Li Fan

Realm: Mid Golden Core

Physiological Age: 27/599

Psychological Age: 1326/4200

Mystical Net Charging Progress: 100%

Anchor Charging Progress: 0%

Current Anchor Points: 3

Currently Available Anchor Points: 1

Bound Items: "Thousand Mechanisms Jade Sphere Gold Chapter," Taiyan Boat, Stepping Stone Remnant (Damaged), Blood of Ten Thousand People, Transformation Stone

Cultivation Techniques: Xuanhuang Refining Heart Spell, Cloud Water Mirage Technique, Transformation of Body and Dao, Strange Profound True Spirit Transformation, Furnace of Myriad Forms Technique, Creation Baking Furnace Technique, Sitting Mountain Secret

Supernatural Abilities: Chaos, Great Five Elements Annihilation Sword, Life and Death Connection, Formless Killing Intent, Bind Insects, Clouds and Mist Sword, Overturning Heaven Palm

...

"With the transformation of my body over three thousand years, my mental age has only increased by a little over a hundred years. Currently, it seems there's no need to worry."

"As for that 'Chaos' supernatural ability..."

Li Fan remembered the terrifying side effects that even the refined puppet body completely collapsed after use, shaking his head slightly.

"Although powerful, currently, it's too taxing to use."

Closing the True Panel, in this life, he neither transformed the "Sitting Mountain Secret" cultivation nor plundered finances from the Da Xuan Court.

Instead, he transformed into the appearance of a black-feathered red-tailed bird and swiftly flew towards the East Hades Abyss, heading for the Immortal Array.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 422: Swallowing the Return to the Origin Frog

In the dark void, several boundary-breaking whales were playing and chasing each other.

Upon closer observation, one of them surprisingly had a black-feathered red-tailed bird standing on its back.

The bird strolled leisurely on the wide body of the whale.

The boundary-breaking whales were completely unaware of this.

This black-feathered red-tailed bird was naturally Li Fan.

Navigating through the Immortal Array with ease, when he saw the group of boundary-breaking whales, he had a sudden whimsical idea.

He wanted to test the actual deceptive effect of the "Furnace of Myriad Forms Technique."

And thus, this scene unfolded.

"Boundary-breaking whales are extremely sensitive to external auras. Even ordinary people can be traced for thousands of miles."

"I'm so close, yet they show no response. Perhaps, in their eyes, I'm no different from a real bird."

Li Fan was quite satisfied with the test results.

With a swift flap of his wings, he left the group of boundary-breaking whales and headed towards the entrance to the Mystical Yellow Realm at the bottom of the East Hades Abyss.

"If Da Xuan truly managed to break free from the Mystical Yellow Realm under the efforts of the boundary-breaking whales, would it be directly captured by the Immortal Array? Similar to the Medicine King True Cauldron?"

"Who was behind the creation of this group of boundary-breaking whales back then?"

"But it probably wasn't the doing of the Ten Sects of Immortal Dao. They are aware of the existence of the Immortal Array. Allowing the boundary-breaking whales to excavate small worlds would be digging their own graves, wouldn't it?"

The brightness of the cultivation world was just ahead not far away. Looking back at the seemingly tireless boundary-breaking whales, a thought suddenly crossed Li Fan's mind.

It was just a fleeting thought, and his figure didn't pause at all.

The next moment, Li Fan reappeared above the vast ocean.

The sea and sky were of the same color, and the salty breeze gently brushed against him.

Li Fan took a deep breath and sighed.

"A blue sky is indeed more beautiful."

After spending hundreds of years in the suppressed world under the influence of the Mystical Net, the original Li Fan now understood the value of this unrestrained freedom.

Without joining the Wanxian Alliance first, Li Fan identified the direction and flew towards the junction of the Cloud Mist Sea and Stone Linzhou.

His destination was the remnants of the Celestial Mechanics Sect in the Bai Shi Cave Heaven.

This was where Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi found the "Thousand Mechanisms Jade Sphere Gold Chapter."

Last life, with the help of Leng Hu Chang, Xiao Heng not only obtained the Gold Chapter but also discovered several other cultivation techniques from the remnants.

Including the secret technique "Only Hand Covers the Sky."

Li Fan naturally couldn't miss this opportunity.

Although he appeared to be an ordinary bird, Li Fan's flying speed was not slow at all.

Twenty-some days later, Li Fan arrived outside the Bai Shi Cave Heaven.

The so-called Bai Shi Cave Heaven was a vast underground cave on the border of Stone Linzhou.

Inside the cave, countless pathways crisscrossed.

Every so often, there would be a sudden opening, forming a spacious underground hall.

The hall was full of strange and rugged rocks, growing wildly from the top to the bottom and spreading to the outer walls.

With various shapes resembling both humans and beasts, it was intimidating.

Many cultivators lost their way in it and never returned.

No one knew how large this Bai Shi Cave Heaven was.

As one of the dangerous places in Stone Linzhou, even though there were rumors about what secrets might be hidden here, very few cultivators dared to come explore.

Continuously advancing into the depths of the cave, Li Fan hadn't encountered a single person.

The deeper he went, the more complex the paths became.

At every intersection, there were seven or eight branching roads.

Moreover, not only did divine sense experience some interference, but the cave itself would occasionally undergo changes.

The road that was clear on the way in might inexplicably disappear when one tried to return.

Unfortunately, the geological structure inside this cave was incredibly hard. Trying to forcibly create a path was impossible.

This was also why Bai Shi Cave Heaven was so perilous.

"According to what Leng Hu Chang said, Bai Shi Cave Heaven is likely the transformation of an ancient beast, the 'Return to the Origin Frog,' after its death."

"The Return to the Origin Frog resides deep underground, feeding on the veins of mountains and rivers. It is a notorious disruptor of terrain, capable of hollowing out the entire underground of a province."

Li Fan recalled the information heard from Han Wu You.

"However, one thing suppresses another."

In its body, there often coexists a type of "Stone Spirit Worm."

The Return to the Origin Frog is inherently greedy, devouring earth veins without any restraint, even risking overeating to the point of self-destruction.

In most cases, they don't have enough time to digest and absorb the earth vein energy inside their bodies.

As a result, masses of Earth Vein Stones condense within them.

These Stone Spirit Worms favor Earth Vein Stones as food. This creates a perfect symbiotic relationship, helping the Return to the Origin Frog alleviate digestion pressure while having no worries about food themselves.

It's a perfect symbiotic relationship.

It's likely that the intricate tunnels inside Bai Shi Cave Heaven were dug out by these Stone Spirit Worms.

Li Fan flew while carefully searching for the Stone Spirit Worms.

After a short time:

"It's you!"

Li Fan revealed his true form, and the Five Elements Annihilation Sword quietly unsheathed.

A deep hole appeared on the stone wall of the tunnel.

A greenish-gray figure flashed by and was about to escape deeper into the wall.

"Insect Binding!"

Li Fan suddenly activated his divine ability, capturing it.

A chubby, greenish-gray giant insect about the size of a baby appeared in front of Li Fan.

At this moment, it couldn't move and emitted urgent chirping sounds.

Li Fan lightly tapped on its body, producing a dull sound.

The flesh all over the Stone Spirit Worm's body kept trembling. Under Li Fan's warning, it immediately behaved.

Infusing spiritual energy into its body, Li Fan closed his eyes, sensing the structure of the Stone Spirit Worm's body.

Although it could devour Earth Vein Stones, the complexity of its physiological structure was not even as much as the ordinary bird Li Fan had transformed into before.

After a short time, Li Fan released the restraint.

The next moment, his body was enveloped in golden light, transforming into the appearance of a Stone Spirit Worm.

The chubby bug fell to the ground with a thud, paying no attention to the new companion, Li Fan, and hurriedly dug into the ground to escape.

The hole it dug closed up not long after appearing, slowly healing under Li Fan's gaze.

"This place is indeed mysterious. Exploring it without special methods could be troublesome due to the peculiarities of the Return to the Origin Frog. However, now..."

Li Fan shook his insect body and plunged into the stone wall.

The extremely hard stones felt like crispy delicacies in his mouth.

Li Fan effortlessly carved out a passage.

In his mind, the approximate location of the Celestial Mechanics Sect remnants surfaced. Li Fan headed straight in that direction.

Seven days later:

An enclosed underground cavern.

A faint rumbling sound suddenly emanated from the stone wall.

Before long, the Stone Spirit Worm, transformed by Li Fan, forcefully drilled out.

With a thud, it fell to the ground, flipped over, and remained motionless.

Only when the Earth Vein Stones inside its body were completely digested into energy did Li Fan transform back into his human form.

"It actually ate until it couldn't move."

Li Fan shook his head, silently speechless.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 423: Celestial Mechanics Sect's Stone Transformation

Li Fan carefully examined this cavern.

Above, numerous structures seemed to grow out of the top of the cave, hanging suspended in mid-air.

Li Fan also saw stone statues resembling cultivators.

Their feet and the buildings fused into one, hanging upside down with outstretched hands in a desperate plea for help.

However, their bodies were forever frozen in this moment, filled with fear on their faces.

"This should be a mountain peak of the Celestial Mechanics Sect, coincidentally swallowed by this Return to the Origin Frog."

"Judging by the looks of it, they were swallowed after complete petrification."

Li Fan stayed on guard, flying to the top of the cave.

Ignoring these petrified cultivators, he moved through the ruins, heading straight for the most conspicuous stone tower.

"The Sky-Peeking Tower, a crucial place for the Celestial Mechanics Sect to observe celestial phenomena."

Arriving in front of the stone tower, Li Fan found that even after thousands of years, it still emitted a faint glow.

"Although the restrictions are still in place, it seems they are just superficial."

Seemingly unhindered, Li Fan entered the interior of the Sky-Peeking Tower.

"Hmm?"

The moment he entered, Li Fan's expression changed.

He felt a fierce gaze locking onto him.

Following the gaze, Li Fan saw a disheveled cultivator standing ahead.

With a ferocious expression, one eye bulging as if about to pop out, glaring at Li Fan.

The lower half of the cultivator, like other Celestial Mechanics Sect disciples, had turned into stone.

However, the upper body seemed to be in the process of petrification, presenting a strange mix of flesh and stone.

"Dead or alive?"

Li Fan didn't dare to be negligent and immediately released the Five Elements Annihilation Sword.

"Boom!"

The black light sword struck the cultivator's body.

After piercing through the chest, the cultivator's body immediately shattered into pieces, scattered all over.

Only the half-petrified eyeball continued to float in the air, tightly staring at Li Fan.

While slowly approaching, Li Fan continuously changed his position.

He found that this eyeball seemed to sense his presence, always locking onto his location.

Arriving in front of the petrified eyeball, after waiting for a while, there was no other reaction.

Li Fan held it in his hand, carefully observing.

"It's not a real eyeball but was implanted in the body of the deceased cultivator."

"Weird, don't remember Xiaoheng and the others mentioning this..."

"Did they not notice it? Or was it hidden by Linghuchang?"

After playing with it for a while, Li Fan didn't find any use for this eyeball.

Putting it in his pocket, Li Fan continued to explore the Sky-Peeking Tower.

The Sky-Peeking Tower had a total of nine floors.

From the second to the fifth floor, scattered on the ground were some jade slips and magical instruments.

However, most of them were already damaged.

After finding a storage ring, Li Fan happily stored the intact items inside.

"Taiwei Heavenly Numbers," "Nine Heavens One Qi Technique," "Heavenly Intent Descends Technique," "Thousand Mechanism Mystical Record"...

There were cultivation techniques and works on Celestial Mechanics.

In the end, Li Fan collected a total of twenty-six cultivation techniques and forty-eight books.

Among them, there were seventeen Golden Elixir stage cultivation techniques and nine Yuan Infant stage cultivation techniques.

"What a windfall. I wonder how many of them are unique."

"However, only two of these cultivation techniques show signs of someone practicing. I guess the proportion of useful techniques in the Wan Xian Alliance isn't too high."

Li Fan concealed his joy and continued upward.

From the sixth to the eighth floor, various peculiar objects were placed.

For example, lotus flowers with human faces on each petal.

Fruits resembling dragons.

Rectangular stones with natural patterns.

...

These strange objects seemed to have once been enveloped in some kind of special power.

However, with the passage of time, this power had completely dissipated.

Now they just looked peculiar.

"These should be the objects the Celestial Mechanics Sect used to sense celestial phenomena." Li Fan pondered.

The Celestial Mechanics Sect believed that the qi of heaven and earth interacted, manifesting in the world.

Things that went against common sense were the result of intense interaction of the qi of heaven and earth.

With these strange objects, one can deeply comprehend the natural energy of heaven and earth.

"Just like when I used the Cang Hai Pearl to sense the natural energy of heaven and earth." Li Fan didn't care whether these things were useful or not; he accepted them all.

Finally, he reached the ninth floor of the Sky-Peeking Tower. After opening it, however, it was empty, with nothing inside.

"Just as Xiao Heng said." As expected, Li Fan was not disappointed.

After a thorough search yielded no results, he was about to leave when a stroke of luck came.

Staring at the empty ninth-floor space, Li Fan pondered.

"From the external situation, the calamity that befell this mountain peak of the Celestial Mechanics Sect happened suddenly."

"They had no time to react and tragically suffered."

"They didn't even have time to save themselves, let alone transfer their treasures."

"So, why is the ninth floor of the Sky-Peeking Tower empty?"

Li Fan grew suspicious, feeling that there might be some hidden secret here.

But no matter how he searched, he couldn't find anything valuable.

It seemed like wishful thinking on his part.

After some thought, Li Fan decided to activate the Five Elements Annihilation Sword, directly cutting off the ninth floor of the stone tower.

The black annihilating radiance, like a force that could destroy anything, shattered the remaining restrictions on the Sky-Peeking Tower after thousands of years.

Then, with a tremendous roar, the topmost level of the Sky-Peeking Tower was taken into Li Fan's storage ring.

"Better to take it wrong than to let it go."

Satisfied, Li Fan nodded.

Afterward, he thoroughly searched the ruins inside and out.

In the end, in a few separate caves, he found four cultivation techniques.

Three Golden Elixir stage and one Yuan Infant stage.

And this Yuan Infant cultivation technique was precisely the "Thousand Mechanism Jade Orb Golden Scripture."

"It should be this cave on the outskirts of the ruins, revealed by accident decades later, that caught the attention of Kou Hong and his brother."

"But these two had such bad luck. Clearly, if they had searched a bit more seriously, they would have discovered the true ruins of the Celestial Mechanics Sect not far away."

"Instead, they got greedy at the sight of the Yuan Infant cultivation technique and missed the treasure trove."

Realizing the reason behind it all, Li Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of irony.

With a great harvest, Li Fan didn't linger any longer.

Transforming back into the stone spirit, he carved out a passage from the now resealed stone wall.

Exiting the Hundred Stone Cave, he headed towards the direction of the Clustered Cloud Sea.

...

Liuli Island.

He Zhenghao had been troubled and in disarray lately.

"To go or not to go?"

Frowning, He Zhenghao sighed deeply.

For some reason, when he was cultivating the "Mountain-Sitting Secret," he suddenly sensed something.

There was unexpectedly another person cultivating the "Mountain-Sitting Secret" in the world.

Originally, cultivating the "Mountain-Sitting Secret" was already extremely slow, and now there's another person practicing the same technique.

This is unacceptable!

It can be said that it's impossible to cultivate anymore.

His own main cultivation method suddenly encountered such an unexpected change, leaving He Zhenghao unsure of what to do.

The "Mountain-Sitting Secret" was something he discovered while exploring caves in his youth and had never disclosed to anyone.

How did the other person find out?

This matter was strange. He Zhenghao, who wasn't particularly courageous, didn't dare rashly investigate, fearing unexpected dangers.

He could only hide all day in the protective array, feeling conflicted.

At this moment,

"Who's this insignificant figure! How dare you secretly learn our sect's cultivation technique!"

"Get out!"

A thunderous voice echoed over Liuli Island, continuously reverberating.

He Zhenghao was initially stunned, about to go out and check the situation.

Then he immediately reacted.

"Is the other party here to challenge me?"

Feeling the powerful aura emanating from the opponent, He Zhenghao's face turned pale.

"Golden Elixir stage?"

Many readers asked why Li Fan was still in the middle stage of the Golden Elixir realm.

In the previous life, he broke through after being anchored for 28 years and died when anchored for 41 years.

In just over a decade, all his energy was devoted to constructing the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Formation.

Breaking through seemed a bit challenging for Li Fan.

This chapter concludes here.

Chapter 424: Successor of the Celestial Machinery Sect

"How could this be?"

"Not only did he cultivate the same technique as me, but his cultivation is even higher?"

He Zhenghao was momentarily speechless, plunged into deep doubts about life.

"This is trouble..."

In an instant, various thoughts surged through He Zhenghao's mind.

But ultimately, he decided to temporarily go to Wanxian Island to avoid the situation.

Just as he was preparing to activate the teleportation array,

"I know you're hiding inside. Why not come out and face me?" The opponent's angry shout echoed again, thunderous and shaking Liuli Island.

He Zhenghao's face twitched, not daring to speak, just hurriedly opening the teleportation array.

Who would have thought that the person seemed to have discovered his actions.

"Trying to escape? Hmph!"

A fluctuation suddenly enveloped the sky above Liuli Island.

He Zhenghao was horrified to find that the teleportation array on Liuli Island had lost contact with Wanxian Island.

"Space blockade?!"

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead. However, in an instant, He Zhenghao figured it out.

"No, it's just that, through some method, the connection of the teleportation array nodes has been temporarily affected..."

Just as he secretly breathed a sigh of relief,

He suddenly noticed that the cultivator who had come knocking on the door had turned into a stream of light and rushed straight towards the protective array below.

He Zhenghao was delighted, "So, he's a reckless person! My Mountain and Star Formation is not easy to deal with. Even if you have Golden Elixir cultivation..."

Just as he thought so, something astonishing happened.

The opponent treated the large array as if it didn't exist and swaggered right in.

The flight path seemed random but consistently traversed the weakest points of the formation.

Moreover, the speed was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, before He Zhenghao could react,

The person landed in front of him.

Staring coldly at He Zhenghao, his eyes filled with killing intent, "It's you who secretly learned our sect's technique?"

He Zhenghao's brain suddenly went blank.

Without time to consider how the other party easily broke through his proud Mountain and Star Formation,

A terrifying killing intent, as substantial as it could be, enveloped him, and He Zhenghao's heart pounded violently.

"Misunderstanding! It's definitely a misunderstanding!"

"Fellow Daoist, please don't act rashly!"

Faced with the threat of death, He Zhenghao shouted repeatedly.

"Fellow Daoist?" The ferocity in the other's eyes intensified.

"A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator dares to address a Golden Elixir true person as a fellow Daoist?"

"Is this how cultivators are nowadays, lacking manners?"

A much stronger pressure suddenly emanated from him.

He Zhenghao felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his shoulders, knees softening, almost kneeling on the spot.

He Zhenghao felt extremely wronged.

Not to mention Golden Elixir cultivators, even if it were Nascent Soul cultivators, I, He Zhenghao, would address them as fellow Daoists!

But faced with the wicked, for the sake of his own life, He Zhenghao had to temporarily yield to the opponent's strength.

Forced to wear an ugly smile, He Zhenghao said with some difficulty, "Misunderstanding, it's really a misunderstanding!"

"Elder, please speak well!"

The other party swept a cold gaze around, temporarily retracting the pressure.

"I ask, you answer!"

"If you lie to me..."

"Death!"

He Zhenghao's heart jumped when he heard the other's words.

Nodding like a chicken pecking at rice, indicating his understanding.

"How did you obtain your 'Mountain-Sitting Secret'?" the other party asked.

"It was unexpectedly discovered by the junior during an adventure in a cave when he was young, absolutely not..."

He Zhenghao's words weren't finished when he heard another question from the other party.

"A cave? Where is it located? Why does it contain the inheritance of my sect?"

He Zhenghao quickly explained the location and internal structure of the cave.

The other party narrowed his eyes, remaining silent for a moment.

Subsequently, he unexpectedly revealed some details of the cave and asked He Zhenghao for confirmation.

He Zhenghao was overjoyed and nodded quickly.

Sensing the diminishing killing intent from the other side, He Zhenghao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Seeing that the other seemed lost in memories, he bravely asked, "I've observed that Senior's behavior is different from ordinary people."

"I wonder if Senior has just awakened from a long slumber?"

It's not surprising that He Zhenghao would make such a guess. Nowadays, how many cultivators still openly mention sects? Moreover, there have been instances of ancient cultivators waking up after sleeping for thousands of years. He Zhenghao didn't find it too strange.

He just felt a bit unlucky.

The other party didn't directly admit it but became somewhat serious.

"I'd like to ask you, what has happened in these years?"

"Why would there be a mysterious resonance while cultivating techniques?"

"It seems like the world has changed..."

He Zhenghao became more convinced of his speculation.

He then described in detail the transmission of the Celestial Venerable's technique, the Great Catastrophe, the current situation of the Wanxian Alliance, and everything that happened in the Xuanhuang Realm.

The other's face changed continuously as he listened.

And through various indirect questions, He Zhenghao finally began to understand the identity of the other person.

His name was Li Fan, an ancient cultivator from the Celestial Machinery Sect.

Once, due to an accident, he fell into a deep sleep.

After waking up, not only did his cultivation regress to the Golden Elixir realm, but he also felt a mysterious resonance.

Without understanding, Li Fan followed the resonance to Liuli Island.

Upon discovering that He Zhenghao, who cultivated the same "Mountain-Sitting Secret," was not a disciple of the Celestial Machinery Sect, he questioned him.

"How did Senior recognize that I am not a disciple of the Celestial Machinery Sect?"

Although He Zhenghao lamented his misfortune in his heart, he still had doubts.

Li Fan chuckled, "After a thousand years, are cultivators this ignorant?"

"Your question is like asking why a cultivator can instantly tell that a demonic beast is not human."

"We, cultivators of the Celestial Machinery Sect, emphasize the unity of heaven and man. Our sect's techniques are closely related to the aura. Naturally, I have secret techniques to discern it."

Hearing the disdainful tone of the other, He Zhenghao blushed slightly.

Just as he was about to say something, he saw Li Fan suddenly staring at him.

"Senior, you..." He Zhenghao couldn't help feeling nervous.

"How long have you been practicing the 'Mountain-Sitting Secret'?" Li Fan asked.

He Zhenghao was slightly stunned, "For more than a hundred years..."

"With such a profound technique, and practicing for so long, why is your cultivation only at the Foundation Establishment level?"

Li Fan looked at He Zhenghao suspiciously, "Did you also suffer an injury and fall in cultivation?"

He Zhenghao's face turned red instantly.

"Senior, you don't know. This 'Mountain-Sitting Secret'..."

He was about to defend himself, but suddenly remembered that this person was the ancestor of the 'Mountain-Sitting Secret.'

For a moment, he couldn't speak.

Mumbling and stuttering, he stood there awkwardly.

However, Li Fan helped him out of the predicament.

As if he had remembered something, he suddenly realized, "Right, you can't sense the Celestial Machinery Technique. No wonder your cultivation progress is so slow."

"Relying solely on 'Sitting on the Mountain' without 'Sitting as an Immortal.' It's difficult, difficult, difficult!"

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 425: He Zhenghao's Predicament

"Tianji resonance, 'Sitting as an Immortal'..."

He Zhenghao's eyes lit up as if he had gleaned something extraordinary from Senior Li Fan.

Eagerly anticipating more information, he found Senior suddenly silent.

This left He Zhenghao anxious, struggling several times to speak but stopping.

"What's wrong? Now that we both cultivate the same technique, it's not bad that we're not at each other's throats. Do you want me to give you some guidance?" Li Fan sneered.

He Zhenghao, however, saw that this Senior appeared more fierce than he actually was, not a true villain. He quickly said, "Senior, your insight is sharp. Although the 'Mountain-Sitting Secret' is an unparalleled technique, my progress in cultivation has been slow. I've long had the intention to change my cultivation method."

"Please rest assured, Senior; I absolutely won't compete with you for techniques."

Hearing He Zhenghao's assurance, Li Fan's expression softened a bit.

"You're a sensible kid. It saves me from creating unnecessary enmity."

He Zhenghao cautiously asked, "However, I've practiced the 'Mountain-Sitting Secret' for over a hundred years and invested many emotions. I know I might have practiced it wrong, but I don't know the correct way to cultivate. I feel unwilling. I hope Senior can enlighten me."

He Zhenghao sincerely said.

Li Fan carefully observed him. Surprisingly, He Zhenghao felt a bit nervous, reminiscent of the first time he encountered a cultivator when he was still an ordinary person.

"Alright, we were originally separated by thousands of years, but we can cultivate the same technique. The fate is quite deep. The world is unpredictable; maybe meeting you after waking up is also fate."

After a long time, Li Fan sighed softly.

"The cave where you obtained the technique, is also..."

Li Fan shook his head and suddenly stopped.

Solemnly, he said, "Since you also cultivate the 'Mountain-Sitting Secret,' you naturally know that the essence of the technique lies in the words 'Sitting and Enjoying Success.'"

He Zhenghao nodded repeatedly.

Li Fan continued, "However, the changes in mountains and rivers take thousands of years. Relying solely on 'Sitting on the Mountain' makes cultivation too slow. Honestly, it may not even compare to third-rate techniques."

He Zhenghao became more and more in agreement.

"So, to speed up the cultivation of the 'Mountain-Sitting Secret,' you can only rely on 'Sitting as an Immortal'!" Li Fan emphasized.

"Assisting struggling cultivators, once their fortunes turn, they'll soar to new heights, and our benefits will naturally be immense."

"Furthermore, although the feedback from one person is small, under a wide net, accumulating bit by bit, how can cultivation be slow?"

"However..."

Li Fan's tone changed, "The key lies here. Although there are many cultivators in the world, those who can step by step from Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment to Golden Elixir and Nascent Soul are ultimately a small fraction."

"Without special means, blind investment leads to low efficiency and often futile efforts."

"I think that's why your cultivation has been so slow."

He Zhenghao nodded quickly.

"So, finding the right person is the key."

"The so-called interaction between heaven and man. If there are extraordinary talents, the world will naturally react with spiritual resonance."

"We, the Celestial Machinery Sect, have a secret technique that can locate various extraordinary talents based on changes in the aura between heaven and earth."

"If we can help them before they grow up..."

Li Fan paused, but He Zhenghao listened with overwhelming emotions.

"In this way, the cultivation of the 'Mountain-Sitting Secret' will inevitably speed up a hundred or even a thousand times!"

"Wonderful, wonderful!" He Zhenghao's expression became intoxicated, as if he had fallen into his own beautiful fantasy.

But it was Li Fan's cold snort that brought him back to reality.

"Enough, I've told you the answer you wanted. When do you plan to change your cultivation method?"

"Anyway, with the 'Primordial True Scripture' transformation chapter, it won't affect you much." Li Fan questioned.

He Zhenghao's expression froze slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed. "The method I want to change to requires a high contribution level, and my resources are a bit tight now. I'm afraid..."

Li Fan's face suddenly darkened. "Kid! Are you trying to fool me?"

"If so, don't blame me for being rude."

Seeing a black light flash in the other's eyes, He Zhenghao's body hair stood on end.

It's as if he's being targeted by ancient fierce beasts, and his heart is wildly sounding alarms.

He Zhenghao quickly said with a bitter face, "It's true! It's true!"

"The technique I'm interested in is called 'Hidden Dragon of Mountains and Rivers,' requiring a total of 250,000 contribution points..."

He spoke rapidly, confessing everything about himself.

"Oh?" Li Fan's eyes gleamed with darkness.

"How many contribution points do you have now?" He Zhenghao showed a hesitant expression.

"Usually, I only keep over a thousand contribution points for emergencies, and the rest is invested in various channels."

He Zhenghao took out a Tianxuan small mirror, looked at it, and his expression changed slightly.

"All in all, it should be around sixteen... fifteen thousand."

He cautiously glanced at Li Fan after saying this.

To his surprise, Li Fan didn't show anger but nodded. "Hmm, you're still lacking a hundred thousand contribution points."

"Give you one month; that should be enough."

After saying that, he flicked his fingers.

He Zhenghao felt a chilling breath entering his body, but upon closer inspection, he couldn't sense it anymore.

Li Fan said coldly, "This is our sect's secret technique, 'Spirit Lock.' Except for the cursed person, no one can lift it."

"When the time is up, if 'Spirit Lock' isn't removed, you'll perish, body and soul!"

He Zhenghao's face turned incredibly pale upon hearing this.

"Kid, remember! Within a month, willingly change your cultivation method. Otherwise..."

Li Fan glanced at He Zhenghao and was about to fly away.

Unable to hold back, He Zhenghao sighed, "Senior, it's too difficult for me! Turning fifteen thousand into twenty-five thousand in a month? It's impossible! It's better to kill..."

Li Fan suddenly returned, landing in front of He Zhenghao.

He Zhenghao abruptly stopped.

"Kid, why are you so noisy? I've already given you so much time."

"Can't achieve turning fifteen thousand into twenty-five thousand in a month? Then why are you still investing?"

Li Fan said impatiently.

He Zhenghao mumbled, looking like he dared to be angry but not speak.

Li Fan suddenly got angry. "What's with that expression of yours?"

He Zhenghao could only say, "Senior, it's not that I'm evading responsibility, but..."

Li Fan waved his hand, "You're truly a mess. Such a simple matter, it's like asking for your life."

"If I take action, who needs a month? I can settle it in just seven or eight days."

He Zhenghao's expression revealed everything.

Li Fan sneered, "What? You don't believe me, kid?"

"Otherwise, shall we make a bet?"

For once, He Zhenghao asserted himself, "Let's bet! But Senior, if you lose, don't go back on your word!"

(End of this chapter)