Chapter 471-475: Who Will Slay the Immortal Path (6k+ words)

In the early morning, at the Ye Family residence.

The chubby Ye Feipeng was sound asleep, seemingly dreaming of something incredibly joyful, with a slight smile on his lips. He was completely unaware of a dark figure suddenly appearing by his side.

With a gentle wave of the shadow's hand, Ye Feipeng's head tilted, and he fell into a deep slumber. His right hand formed a claw, placed on top of his head.

After a short while, the hand was slowly retracted.

A drop of dark-red thickened blood appeared in the palm.

Ye Feipeng, who originally had a healthy complexion, suddenly looked feeble, as if he had suffered a severe illness.

The blood, like a living creature, had its own consciousness, constantly surging in the palm, attempting to escape the grip of the shadow.

As the shadow's fingers tightened, the space for the struggling blood became smaller and smaller until it was completely absorbed into the body.

The figure stood still in the dark for a long time.

"Pfft!"

Two hideous bone wings suddenly tore through his back and stretched out behind him.

Threads of blood and flesh entwined on the bone wings, emitting a faint sizzling sound. They continuously grew along the bone spurs, quickly obscuring the stark white bones.

The bone wings became plump, but under the moonlight, one could still clearly see the flesh continuously wriggling at the edges, creating a eerie and strange sight.

"Bloodline of the Kunpeng..."

A deep voice emerged from the shadow's mouth. After a moment, he forcibly tore off the wings behind him.

Without a gush of fresh blood, the flesh at the wound struggled for a moment before being expelled by a pure and majestic vitality.

In an instant, the shadow had returned to its original state.

"Ancient great demon, indeed has some tricks." He looked at the wings, which were still twitching even after being torn off, and sighed slightly.

This shadow was naturally Li Fan.

After arriving in the Great Forbidden Capital, the first thing he did was extract some Kunpeng essence blood from Ye Feipeng.

While preserving most of the essence blood in his storage ring, Li Fan also absorbed a small part into his own body.

Compared to the exotic beast power he comprehended from the Beast Soul Pearl earlier, the power of the Kunpeng bloodline was even more domineering.

If the power of those exotic beasts was more like infection and grafting, the Kunpeng bloodline's power was more like devouring and complete assimilation.

"No wonder in the previous life, Ye Feipeng's actions, behavior, and even thoughts gradually approached that of a true demon beast."

"This is the inevitable consequence of wanting to use the power of the Kunpeng bloodline."

"But..."

Li Fan smiled slightly. "I imitate it with the Hidden Power of Creation, and there is no such worry."

"Kun Devour, Peng Soar, Startling Transformation of the Peng..."

In a low whisper, Li Fan's figure in the dark constantly twisted and transformed, sometimes into a whale, sometimes into a roc, and sometimes into a human with wings.

After a long time, Li Fan returned to his original appearance.

"The Kunpeng essence blood used for comprehension is too little. Currently, I can only imitate its form and cannot completely replicate the Kunpeng's supernatural powers."

"But it doesn't matter. With this ready-made blood bank, everything is fine."

Li Fan looked at Ye Feipeng, revealing a peaceful smile.

Grabbing the chubby boy, he soared into the sky and disappeared into the night.

The next day, chaos erupted in the capital.

Many children from the noble families, including the Su, Ye, Han, and others, mysteriously disappeared.

Several families joined forces to search the entire capital but found no trace of the missing children.

For a while, panic and rumors spread.

The affected families secretly gathered to discuss, believing that the only person capable of doing such a thing, aside from the rumored immortals, was likely the Emperor of Great Departure.

Obviously, immortals wouldn't engage in such clandestine activities. Therefore, the only possibility was that the Emperor took action.

Powerful ministers and nobles recalled various rumors they had heard before, fostering resentment within them.

Thus, undercurrents surged in the capital.

And the instigator of all this, Li Fan, had long left the Forbidden Realm.

After returning to the Xuan Huang Realm, he didn't pause for a moment.

He didn't head to any specific region of the Xuan Huang Realm. Instead, he used the Immortal Disconnection Channel to return to his hometown, Daxuan.

The Taiyan Boat swiftly rode the wind, sixteen children huddled together in the cabin, trembling in fear.

Li Fan stood at the bow, gazing down below.

Just like the Forbidden Realm, Daxuan was also a complete small world, more than ten times larger than the Forbidden Realm.

Since talents like Su Xiaomei and Xiao Heng can appear in the Forbidden Realm, there's no reason Daxuan wouldn't work.

The first stop was the prosperous city of Hangguang in Daxuan.

As Li Fan's vast divine consciousness scanned the mortals below, he searched for suitable candidates.

Soon after, Li Fan furrowed his brow deeply.

"How come there are so few with talents better than mine?"

Shaking his head, the Taiyan Boat accelerated towards the next city.

The results continued to disappoint Li Fan.

After nearly half a month, Li Fan had almost searched every inhabitant of Daxuan. However, there were surprisingly few suitable candidates for cultivation.

"It seems my journey on the path of immortality was so difficult not by chance."

"Heaven and humanity..."

Soaring into the sky, Li Fan closed his eyes, sensing the aura of the Xuan Realm itself.

"Man is the spirit of all things, bestowed with the creation of heaven and earth."

"Those favored by heaven and earth can resonate with the heavens, cultivate accordingly, and embark on the immortal path."

"This is what should originally happen."

"While those favored by the fortune of heaven and earth are extremely rare, with Daxuan's vast population, theoretically, there should be quite a few so-called geniuses."

"But, unfortunately..."

Li Fan recalled the pod of Rift-Realm whales lingering outside Daxuan, attempting to completely separate the entire Xuan Realm from the Xuan Huang Realm.

"Heaven and earth have no preferences. Who will slay the immortal path?"

"But why is the Forbidden Realm so special?"

With doubts in his mind, Li Fan could only sigh and temporarily abandon his original plan.

He detoured near Jielisha and took away the two young boys with extraordinary skeletons he had encountered earlier.

Then, he left Daxuan and returned to the cultivation realm.

"I knew there are immortals in the world!" Sun Erlang was excited, pacing back and forth.

On the side, the robust Wang Xuanba frowned, looking somewhat uneasy.

"Erlang, what do you think the immortal wants with us? When can we go back? I miss home..." He whispered to Sun Erlang.

"Be a bit ambitious! If we don't learn the skills of flying clouds and driving mists, splitting mountains and traversing seas, how can we willingly go back like this!" Sun Erlang discontentedly said.

Wang Xuanba opened his mouth, about to say something.

But he suddenly noticed a figure appearing next to them.

"Immortal!" Wang Xuanba jumped in surprise, quickly kneeling and kowtowing.

"Immortal, please teach us cultivation!" Sun Erlang also bowed.

Li Fan glanced at the two without answering.

He just brought them to the cabin where Su Changyu and the other sixteen children were.

These were tiny children, brought here by Li Fan, many of them hadn't seen their families.

In their confusion and helplessness, they cried uncontrollably.

"Keep them quiet; consider this your first test."

"Remember, no violence."

Li Fan instructed Sun Erlang.

Then he disappeared.

With all his martial prowess and self-proclaimed mastery of all martial arts, Sun Erlang, faced with a group of sniffling kids, suddenly found himself in a dilemma.

One more chapter, coming a bit later.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 472: The Greedy Peng

Sun Erlang scratched his head and cheeks, putting in quite an effort to quiet down the kids from the Forbidden Realm.

Li Fan, along with them, arrived at his Dao Embodiment.

Although the originally opened cave was not large, it was more than enough to accommodate these children.

Li Fan made another trip to Wanxian Island, buying items like the Spirit Spring Eye and Crimson Fruit Tree from the Tianxuan Mirror to solve their food problems.

Afterward, he gathered the children.

They looked at Li Fan with innocent eyes.

"Do you know what an immortal is?" Li Fan asked.

The majority of the children instinctively shook their heads, including Ye Feipeng, who looked utterly bewildered.

Only Sun Erlang, who was slightly older, had a glint of excitement and yearning in his eyes.

"I know! Immortals can fly in the sky, move mountains and fill seas. They can control the wind and rain, and do anything!" Sun Erlang said eagerly.

Sun Erlang's words seemed to make the previously timid children brave.

Another child whispered, "I also know. My father taught me to sing, 'To learn immortality, ride a crane through the sky. Turn stones into gold, indescribably marvelous!'"

Li Fan couldn't help but chuckle at this.

He recognized this child; it was Han Wuyou's father several years later.

This time, Li Fan had also brought him and Han Wuyou's mother here.

He wanted to see if, under such drastic changes, Han Wuyou would still be born.

The outcome of this "change or unchanged" had significant meaning for Li Fan.

With a wave of his hand, the noisy children instantly quieted down.

Li Fan solemnly taught them, "The so-called immortal is just someone a bit more powerful."

"But for an ordinary person to become as strong as an immortal, it's not easy, is it?"

"Some are good at literature, others at martial arts. Most importantly, you need to find a method that suits you, a way to become stronger."

Li Fan deliberately paused for a moment, waiting for the children to sink into thought before continuing, "I have three Immortal Arts that can make you as powerful as immortals."

"First, the Law of Going Against the Heavens. Going against the natural order allows you to directly prove the path to immortality. This is the highest-level method."

Although the children didn't understand much, they grasped the meaning and widened their eyes.

"Second, the Furnace Hidden Law. The human body has a furnace, and cultivating it gains the favor of nature. Stimulate the infinite potential within your body, and with advanced training, you can move mountains and fill seas relying only on physical strength. This is a middle-level method!"

With these words, Sun Erlang and Wang Xuanba's eyes flickered slightly among the children.

"If the first two methods are not feasible, I have a third method!"

"Although it can't be compared to the first two, it's still one of the many great paths."

"It's the Beast Control Law!"

"There have been various extraordinary beasts in the world, each possessing incredible powers. If you can harness the power of these beasts, you can also perform immortal feats with a mortal body!"

Li Fan proclaimed loudly.

The children became hopeful.

"Everyone is different, and those who can practice the highest-level method are few. I will teach you these Immortal Arts according to your aptitude."

"You can choose how to cultivate voluntarily."

"Think carefully; I'll be back here in three days!"

Li Fan waved his hand, and through a Leaving Image Stone, he played a looped video in the air explaining the three methods he concocted.

The children were fascinated by the dazzling scenes in the images.

Three days passed quickly.

When Li Fan appeared again, they immediately quieted down from their discussions.

"Those who wish to practice the highest-level method, take a step forward!" Li Fan said.

Su Changyu, Sun Erlang, and three other children confidently stepped forward.

After scanning them, Li Fan said in a deep voice, "None of you has outstanding talent. If cultivation becomes difficult in the future, don't regret it!"

Su Changyu and the others had resolute expressions.

Li Fan flicked his fingers, and several rays of light entered their minds.

"Thus, I will pass on different techniques to each of you. Remember, Immortal Arts are rare and should not be practiced simultaneously. If you encounter confusion in the future, only contemplate it yourself, and never reveal the techniques you cultivate to others."

Upon hearing this, the few of them changed slightly in color.

Li Fan ignored them, creating a gentle breeze to carry them to another room.

Looking at the remaining children, Li Fan continued, "Those who wish to practice the Furnace Hidden Law, step forward!"

Wang Xuanba took the lead.

After hesitating for a while, the majority of the children also stepped forward.

Without saying much, Li Fan transmitted the "Creation Furnace Art" into their minds.

After blowing them away again, Li Fan looked at the remaining three, his eyelids twitching.

Among them was the lax Xiao Heng and Ye Feipeng, whose eyes kept rolling.

"Why are you only willing to practice the lowest-level Beast Control Law?" Li Fan pointed at Xiao Heng, asking coldly, "You answer me first!"

Xiao Heng was startled, touched his head, and awkwardly said, "Replying to Immortal, I just feel that I'm a bit stupid and surely can't learn the first two methods. It's better to honestly learn the Beast Control Law."

Li Fan sneered, "Are you sure? Won't you regret it?"

Seeing that Li Fan didn't blame him, Xiao Heng breathed a sigh of relief and nodded hastily, "Absolutely no regrets!"

Li Fan didn't say much and handed a Yuan Infant Beast Soul Bead to him.

"This is the Beast God Bead, sealed with the soul of a powerful exotic beast. It's too strong for you. Keep it with you day and night. When you feel it's time, you can try to refine it," Li Fan said.

"Thank you, Immortal!" Xiao Heng happily put away the Beast Soul Bead.

"Immortal, I also think like Xiao Heng!" Another child named Zhao Wen, who looked honest and straightforward, spoke quickly.

Li Fan carefully examined Zhao Wen's body, thought for a moment, and still handed him a Yuan Infant Beast Soul Bead.

"Don't force yourself," Li Fan instructed.

Gratefully, Zhao Wen knelt down and kowtowed.

"What about you?" Li Fan looked at the last remaining Ye Feipeng.

Ye Feipeng scratched his cheek, hesitating.

But in the end, he plucked up the courage and asked tentatively, "Immortal, why can we only choose one Immortal Art? Can't we have all three?"

Li Fan's gaze slightly froze as he looked at Ye Feipeng, who was full of anticipation. Suddenly, he burst into hearty laughter.

"Since you said that, I'll grant your wish."

The "Divine Sword of the Sea," "Creation Furnace Art," and the Beast Soul Bead made from the essence of a nine-headed divine bird all flew towards Ye Feipeng.

"Thank you, Immortal! Thank you, Immortal!" Ye Feipeng was overjoyed, kowtowing repeatedly.

Xiao Heng and Zhao Wen on the side couldn't believe that such a thing could happen, staring in astonishment.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 473: Hidden Currents in the Immortal Alliance

Xiao Heng opened his mouth, wanting to say something. However, after a slight movement of his lips and a glance at Li Fan's stern expression, he ultimately didn't speak.

On the other hand, the simple-minded Zhao Wen didn't think too much. After the shock, his eyes were filled with pure admiration.

Thus, the cultivation journey of these little ones was temporarily set.

Except for Su Xiaomei, who was still in swaddling clothes. Although Su Xiaomei had extraordinary talent, she was too young now, still in the babbling stage, so there was no expectation for her to cultivate.

However, with the various spiritual items purchased by Li Fan, combined with the care of Xiao Heng and Su Changyu, there was no need to worry about her physical condition. She even grew more rapidly than in the previous lifetimes.

Seven days later, as the cultivation journey of this group of little ones gradually began to take a regular form, Li Fan once again gathered them.

"Do you know where you are now?" Li Fan asked.

After a few days of familiarity, the children had become less reserved.

"It's the Immortal Realm!" they eagerly answered.

"Correct," Li Fan nodded. "But do you know that your ancestors were originally people from this Immortal Realm?"

"Master, were our ancestors once immortals?" the children asked eagerly.

Li Fan then told them about the ancient times when their ancestors were forced to leave their hometown due to being infected with the Immortal Mortal Plague.

"Just stronger humans, relying on their own strength to act recklessly. They cruelly treated their former compatriots."

"Why can they monopolize this vast and beautiful world full of spiritual energy, while you can only live in a small world without spiritual energy and even face the danger of destruction?"

"Because you are not strong enough!"

Li Fan swept his gaze over everyone, using the power of the Seven Orifices Exquisite Heart to subtly manipulate their emotions.

"When you become strong enough, this world will respect and accept your opinions!"

"All humans from the small worlds should unite!"

"Reclaim everything that was lost with your own hands!"

...

With one stirring slogan after another, the children became united in their hatred, eager to launch an attack on the Immortal Realm in the next moment.

"Of course, we must face the gap between us and the Immortal Realm. Not only is our overall strength too weak, but the number of cultivators is also far from enough."

"So..."

"Endure, lie low!"

"Find fresh blood, strengthen our organization!"

Unconsciously, the dialogue between Li Fan and the children had shifted from "you" to "we."

"It's been some time since you left home. I know some of you really miss your parents."

"It's okay, I'm not an unreasonable person."

Li Fan pointed to Tianyang standing quietly on the side and said, "As long as you cultivate successfully and can defeat him, I will allow you to return to your hometown."

"At the same time, I will grant you the power to recruit personnel in your hometown and join the authority of our Multiverse Alliance!"

With these words, the children became excited.

Who wouldn't want to master immortal arts and return home to show off their prowess? Moreover, this strange adult seemed a bit foolish and not particularly difficult to deal with.

Seeing hope and their thoughts becoming more active, the children became more diligent in their cultivation.

Li Fan secretly watched the future core members of the Multiverse Alliance and couldn't help but nod.

He certainly didn't really expect them to launch an attack on the Immortal Realm and overthrow the rule of the Immortal Alliance.

However, the fruitful trade with the Empire this time had given Li Fan inspiration.

Through the name of the Multiverse Alliance, he could continue to contact those small worlds with unique power systems and profit from them.

The power at the same level has unequal value in small worlds and the Xuanhuang Realm.

Take, for example, those one thousand Beast Soul Beads: five hundred Foundation Establishment, four hundred and ninety Golden Core, and even nine Nascent Soul cultivators.

To assemble such a force in the Xuanhuang Realm would require contributions far exceeding ten million.

However, due to the Empire's detachment from the Xuanhuang Realm and its urgent need for a large amount of contributions, Li Fan easily made a big harvest.

The Empire was not alone; other small worlds were similar.

However, because these Immortal Abodes and small worlds were all hidden, making contact with them required a large number of people.

So, cultivating these children became essential.

Moreover, carrying the "Sit Mountain Technique," the stronger they became, the more benefits Li Fan would gain.

He quietly instructed Tianyang not to go too hard on them. As long as these kids had combat power equivalent to Golden Core cultivators, he would let them win.

After leaving an invisible killing intent to monitor, Li Fan quietly returned to Wanxian Island.

During his absence, the surface of the Immortal Alliance remained calm, but there were already hidden currents surging.

After mobilizing a large number of cultivators and issuing a call for talent, any cultivator with achievements in the formation path could respond.

There was no need for a rigorous entrance exam; they could receive various benefits equivalent to Formation Master of the Formation Hall.

Those who performed exceptionally well could even receive rewards of high-level Daoist techniques.

For a while, the formation talents of the Immortal Alliance were itching for a fight, eager to try their skills.

Formation Masters from all over the world flocked to the headquarters of the Immortal Alliance. Such a grand formation could not escape the notice of the Five Elders.

At the border, the Five Elders continuously provoked and probed. Occasionally, there were reports of exposure and execution of spies from the Five Elders.

Both sides were currently cautious about the war. Underneath the eerie calm, it seemed like a huge storm was slowly brewing.

Li Fan also sensed something unusual.

If he only wanted to build the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Formation early, there was no need for so many Formation Masters.

The derivation of the Locking Spirit Formation diagram was not something a Nascent Soul-level Formation Master could participate in.

"Chief Lu, what are you planning again?" Li Fan's gaze flickered, quickly browsing through recent events in the Tianxuan Mirror, trying to find some clues.

After a long time, when he saw a seemingly ordinary message, Li Fan's gaze suddenly stopped.

Foundation Establishment cultivator Guo Yezhong, unfortunately failed and died while breaking through to Golden Core.

"Guo Yezhong, how did this person die prematurely?"

Li Fan had a deep impression of this cultivator who had ranked first in the last life through point draws in the construction of the Locking Spirit Formation.

Dying inexplicably in this life, there must be something strange behind it.

So, Li Fan carefully inquired about Guo Yezhong's experiences before his death, trying to find any abnormalities.

After several days of effort and a massive expenditure of contributions, Li Fan finally obtained information from a close friend of Guo Yezhong, revealing the potential cause of his unexpected death.

(Continued in the next chapter)

Chapter 474: Heaven's Fate Conceals Human Fortune

Guo Yezhong was obsessed with the formation path throughout his life. His thoughts were erratic, often filled with whimsical ideas. He enjoyed drinking and, after getting thoroughly drunk, would share various unrealistic fantasies with his friends.

His friends usually dismissed these as drunken ramblings, just laughing them off.

Not long ago, Guo Yezhong got drunk once again. He told his friends about a vision he had in a dream: the Tianxuan loomed overhead like a spider web, covering everything and tightly binding all living beings.

Due to the bizarre nature of the story, his friends didn't take it seriously this time either, considering it as mere drunken talk.

After Guo Yezhong sobered up, he was mocked by his friends for this matter.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, Guo Yezhong's expression changed immediately. After warning his friends not to speak recklessly, he left in a huff.

For several days, he shut himself in and didn't go out.

Until suddenly, he claimed to have gained some insight and went out to search for an opportunity to break through to the Golden Core realm.

He never returned.

A few days later, strange signs appeared, leading others to discover his lifeless body.

...

"Fakes drinks harm people!" Li Fan sighed softly and fell into contemplation.

Was it the Immortal Alliance killing him to prevent leaks?

For the Immortal Alliance, which urgently needed talents in the formation path, there was no need for such extreme measures. A simple call to arms would have been enough for him to shed blood for the completion of the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Formation.

"The remaining possibility is that the Five Elders took action."

"After revealing the news of the merging of the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Formation and the Xuanhuang Realm to the Five Elders, they would undoubtedly try everything to investigate related information."

"However, due to the strict confidentiality of the Immortal Alliance, they rarely gained any information."

"Until they discovered that an inconspicuous Foundation Establishment cultivator openly spoke about scenes related to the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Formation after drinking."

"So, Guo Yezhong fell victim..."

Li Fan rubbed his chin, speculating on the possible course of events.

"Although Guo Yezhong had extremely high talent in the formation path, he probably knew little about the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Formation. At most, he only had vague concepts."

"And the Five Elders' research on formations is no less than that of the Immortal Alliance. With Guo Yezhong as a lead, the final outcome could be unpredictable."

"In this world, for the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Formation, the Immortal Alliance has created a bigger scene than the last life."

"It can almost be certain that, under the struggle between the two sides, the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Formation will either not be born or evolve into something even more terrifying than in the previous life."

"I can only hope that the Five Elders get irritated. If necessary, I can help them."

Li Fan pondered for a while, recalling the formation diagram of the Locking Spirit Formation.

After a long time, he suppressed the miscellaneous thoughts in his heart.

For most cultivators in the Immortal Alliance, they were completely unaware of this major event that could affect the future history of the Xuanhuang Realm.

For them, life remained calm, with no difference from usual.

Completing tasks, accumulating contributions, exchanging for Daoist techniques and resources for cultivation, and occasionally relaxing and playing – this was their daily life.

The topics cultivators used to chat about were generally about which young genius had made a breakthrough or who had gotten lucky and found a technique in the sect's ruins.

However, this year, a name became a frequent topic.

Li Fan, a cultivator of the Tianji Sect.

He accurately predicted the surge in the price of the Commonplace True Leaf.

Although most participants in the events ended up with heavy losses, making them resentful towards Li Fan, they did not doubt his divination ability.

Moreover, at some point, a group of crazy admirers appeared, praising Li Fan's divination skills as extraordinary, not inferior to the renowned masters in the Immortal Alliance.

As if, apart from the Commonplace True Leaf incident, Li Fan had other achievements.

But when asked, these people remained tight-lipped, wearing an expression of either believing it or not.

If it were just a matter of being good at divination, [Ancient Tianji Sect cultivator Li Fan] wouldn't have sparked such fervent discussions.

Chapter 475: Heavenly Fortune Conceals Human Fortune

The fundamental reason lies in Li Fan's ability to make everyone rich. Cong Yunhai and He Zhenghao gathered contributions and handed them over to Li Fan to operate. The news of returning the principal along with profits after one year was well known to everyone.

Although it seemed like a pyramid scheme on the surface, with Li Fan's endorsement of his "extremely adept divination" abilities, everything became real again.

Accumulating contributions was incredibly difficult! A fifty percent annual profit was incredibly tempting!

Unable to resist the itch, many cultivators approached He Zhenghao, wanting to join the next investment plan.

The number of inquiring cultivators was so overwhelming that even He Zhenghao, who considered himself well-traveled, was scared. He hid in the protective formation on Liuli Island, not daring to go out.

It wasn't until he contacted Li Fan and got his approval that he finally relaxed.

Following Li Fan's advice, he released a statement. Due to the excessive number of cultivators seeking investment, beyond Li Fan's control, he reluctantly made a decision.

This time, he would only collect contributions from a maximum of five hundred cultivators. The amounts they were willing to contribute would be collected in descending order.

The news angered the cultivators, and most of them, after hesitating for a moment, chose to give up. However, a small group used their contributions to cast a vote of confidence in Li Fan.

With the introduction of a competitive mechanism, the third round of contributions, after being constrained, expanded astonishingly to over fifteen million.

An average of over thirty thousand per person.

This was still the case with everyone being cautious and trying it out.

He Zhenghao was overwhelmed by the money received and had a big smile on his face. Because Li Fan saw how hard he was working, he promised to give him one percent of the profits as a reward.

So, he worked even harder.

He even kept persuading the cultivators who invested to contribute more from their savings.

While this "big swindler" Li Fan was madly amassing wealth, the "Foundation Establishment Masters" of the Empire were not idle.

Although Li Fan's gift of ten million contributions allowed these lawbreakers to complete their tasks in advance, they did not stop there. To thoroughly prepare to detach from the Xuanhuang Realm in the future, the lawbreakers continued to earn contributions through various means, converting them into various resources and secretly transporting them back to the Empire.

One day, a special guest arrived on the island.

"After saving up for so long, it should be enough."

"Plus, with this renowned Foundation Establishment Master, I will definitely break through to the Foundation Establishment realm successfully this time."

"By then, my fate will be different from the heavens. Although the cultivation world is vast, I, Han Yi, can go anywhere!"

A somewhat crazy and unkempt young man stood in front of the courtyard of the Foundation Establishment Master, murmuring to himself.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 475: Turning Point after Desperation

"What are you muttering about there, kid? You've been standing there for so long, are you coming in or not?" Li Chenfeng leaned against the wall, squinting at Han Yi, a bit impatient.

"Come in, come in." Han Yi, who was talking to himself, was startled. He reluctantly handed over a storage ring.

"Two thousand low-grade spirit stones are all in there." Han Yi said, feeling a bit distressed.

"Alright, follow me." Li Chenfeng, who had seen tens of millions in contributions, had an expanded worldview and no longer valued these eighteen hundred contributions.

Even though mosquitoes were small, they were still meat. Li Chenfeng sneered and put away the storage ring.

Leading Han Yi all the way to the front of the "Foundation Establishment Master."

Seeing the Foundation Establishment Master, who was elegant and imparting knowledge, Han Yi's face was full of excitement.

Not daring to disturb, he cautiously found a place to sit down and listened carefully to the master's teachings.

Although it sounded a bit confusing, he was extremely serious and didn't want to miss a word.

After a lengthy lecture, Han Yi, like the other students, closed his eyes to try to establish the foundation.

The people on the island naturally didn't know that the moment Han Yi set foot on the island, a gaze pierced through most of the Cloud Sea and fell on him.

"Han Daoist friend, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Using the perspective locked onto Li Chenfeng, Li Fan looked at Han Yi, who was sitting cross-legged with closed eyes, with great interest.

"You've been saving up for so long?"

"After breaking through the Foundation Establishment realm, will your destiny be controlled by you instead of the heavens?"

Li Fan carefully pondered the meaning of Han Yi's two sentences.

Then, recalling his strange performances of occasionally having extraordinary luck and sometimes having average fortune in his previous life.

A bold speculation emerged in Li Fan's mind.

"Could it be that Han Yi can actually control his own aura? Moreover, after he establishes his foundation, his control over his aura will undergo a qualitative change?"

In an instant, Li Fan thought of the supernatural powers of the Heavenly Fate Profound Bird, his incarnation in the Immortal Falling Realm.

"So similar? Interesting!"

Staring at Han Yi, Li Fan saw, through the heavenly and earthly perspectives, that in his dantian, a dark feather was slowly taking shape.

"This is..."

No matter how Li Fan looked at it, this feather was so similar to the one that used to grow on him.

"Even the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object is like this. It seems that I'm not wrong. He really has a connection with the Heavenly Fate Profound Bird."

Li Fan's mind stirred.

If his previous speculation was correct, the founder of the Empire was probably Xu Ke. The saint was the Qing Luan Bird from back then.

But what puzzled Li Fan was that, according to Li Chenfeng's memories, there was never any trace of a profound bird in the Empire.

In theory, the connection between the Heavenly Fate Profound Bird and Xu Ke should be closer.

There was no reason why a randomly picked Qing Luan Bird had been with him all the time, while the profound bird had disappeared.

If he could figure out the source of Han Yi's unique ability, perhaps he could find out the whereabouts of the profound bird in those years.

...

Time passed slowly. Just as the "Heavenly Bird Feather" in Han Yi's dantian was about to fully form.

"Haha! I did it!"

A cultivator suddenly stood up beside Han Yi and shouted loudly.

Affected by the sudden shout while concentrating, the image of the black feather in Han Yi's mind once again dissipated.

He frowned.

When he finally calmed down and tried to concentrate on establishing his Dao Foundation again.

In the small courtyard, another person successfully established his foundation, and his aura surged, emitting a long roar.

"Today, I finally know who I am! Thanks to the master!"

The man laughed heartily, bowed to Zhu Shaotang, and then flew away spiritedly.

Han Yi furrowed his brows, and the foundation once again dispersed slightly.

"Ten years of hardship, success begins today. From now on, although the world is vast, I, Nangong Qian, can walk freely." A scholar-looking cultivator shook his head and recited a poem before leaving.

At the location of Han Yi's dantian, the image of the black Heavenly Bird Feather shattered completely.

"Is it ever going to end?"

Suddenly spitting out a mouthful of blood, Han Yi was furious, stood up abruptly, and looked around.

But he found, in confusion, that he was the only one left in this small courtyard.

The Foundation Establishment Master looked at him with a pitying gaze and comforted, "Young man, don't be discouraged. Although you failed this time, I can see that you are not far from success."

"I believe you will definitely establish your foundation successfully next time."

Hearing this, Han Yi, under the excitement, spat out another mouthful of blood.

The Foundation Establishment Master kindly handed over a pill, saying, "The path of cultivation should not be forced. I suggest you go back and recuperate, take care of your body."

"Next time you come, I will only charge you a thousand contribution points!"

Han Yi opened his mouth, wanting to speak but hesitated. Although he was full of unwillingness, facing the Foundation Establishment Master, who was far more powerful than him, he had no choice.

Vigorously swallowing the pill, Han Yi staggered away from the Foundation Establishment Island.

"It's really a streak of bad luck, this Han Yi."

"It seems that it's not yet time for his luck to turn against the heavens."

Li Fan's eyes flashed slightly as he quietly left Wanxian Island, heading straight for Han Yi, who was locked onto by a killing intent.

Li Fan decided to directly use the soul-searching technique to see what secrets Han Yi was hiding.

After leaving the Foundation Establishment Island, Han Yi seemed to have suffered a great blow. Aimless and confused, he flew casually without a target or direction.

When he came to his senses, he found himself in an unfamiliar sea area.

"Damn it, just a little bit more."

"This damn heaven!"

With no one around, Han Yi vented his anger towards the sky without restraint.

Just then, the originally calm sea surface suddenly surged with huge waves, as if something was emerging from the depths of the sea.

Han Yi stared at the water surface with an inexplicable expression.

After looking around, he dived into the water.

Descending deeper into the sea, he eventually discovered the source of the sea surface disturbance.

It turned out that in the ruins at the bottom of the sea, for some unknown reason, a large hole had appeared.

Countless seawater was being sucked into the hole, forming a giant vortex.

Han Yi stared at the vortex, his expression changing continuously.

In the end, he gritted his teeth and was about to dive into the vortex.

Just at that moment...

"Binding Insect!"

He seemed to hear a faint voice near his ear.

Then, Han Yi was shocked to find that he had completely lost control of his body, unable to move at all!

A figure with an unclear appearance slowly appeared behind him.

An extremely dangerous aura emanated from the figure, making Han Yi's heart chill.

Seeing that the figure's hand was about to cover Han Yi's head, several golden lights suddenly shot fiercely from the sea surface above.

The target was not Han Yi but the figure in front of him!

The power of the golden lights was formidable, forcing the figure to dodge.

"Master Li, it's been hard for us to find you!"

Four black-clothed cultivators, also hiding their figures, suddenly appeared, surrounding the two individuals.

(End of this chapter)