254 Chapter 476-480: Selling Heads of Nascent Soul Today (6.5k words))

"Hmm?"

Looking at the four cultivators who suddenly appeared in front of him, Li Fan was slightly surprised. Since he stirred up storms with the title of "Ancient Celestial Mechanism Sect Cultivator" in this world, Li Fan had become extraordinarily cautious.

Whenever he went out, he would use the "Only Hand Covers the Sky" technique to conceal his whereabouts. The secret technique that could shield perception from the Profound Network in the previous life was truly extraordinary, and countless cultivators in the Wanxian Alliance had tried in vain to meet Li Fan.

Unexpectedly, today he finally encountered some uninvited guests.

"Who are you?" Li Fan asked, not expecting the other party to truthfully confess, but merely to buy some time.

Sensing the breath emanating from the four black-clothed cultivators, Li Fan felt a bit relieved. They were weaker than Tianyang, likely in the Nascent Soul realm.

"What business do you have with me?" Li Fan asked knowingly.

"You'll know in a moment!" one of them said coldly. "Set up the formation!"

They spread out to the four corners, and each released a golden light from the magical tool in their hands. The golden threads twisted and turned in the air, creating a radiant formation around Li Fan in an instant.

It resembled a giant tripod, trapping Li Fan inside.

Li Fan's eyes moved slightly, wanting to dodge, but he felt the surrounding space as if it had solidified and couldn't break free.

"Capture!" they all shouted in unison.

The golden bell contracted rapidly, becoming smaller and smaller.

The golden outline was about to completely bind Li Fan.

"Splitting Light Dragon Imprisonment Formation..."

Although trapped, Li Fan was not flustered. Having cultivated the Dao of formations for many lifetimes, he immediately recognized what formation these four black-clothed cultivators were using.

It was one of the top-grade imprisonment formations circulating in the world today, and it required at least three or more cultivators working together to unleash its power.

The more people involved in the formation, the greater its power. Capturing someone of a higher cultivation realm was an easy task.

Four Nascent Soul cultivators working together could easily capture even a Core Formation cultivator.

But...

Li Fan sneered in his heart. Although he couldn't move, dozens of "Great Five Elements Annihilation Swords" shot out from various parts of his body.

Destructive black light scattered in all directions.

Feeling the terrifying aura emanating from the black light, the four black-clothed cultivators all showed a slight change in color.

Instinctively, they tried to dodge.

However, they were shocked to find that the targets of the black light were not them but various key points of the Splitting Light Dragon Imprisonment Formation!

"Not good!"

One of the cultivators exclaimed in horror because he finally realized that the black light emanating from Li Fan accurately struck various critical nodes of the Splitting Light Dragon Imprisonment Formation.

"Boom!"

The intense collision of golden and black light caused the originally substantial golden bell to dim for a moment.

The indestructible formation also loosened.

"A trivial technique, how dare you show off before me!"

In the changing light and shadow, Li Fan's figure suddenly disappeared from the entwined dragon formation.

"Besides the art of deduction, this person actually also masters the art of formations?"

"How is this possible?"

In an instant, the thought flashed through the minds of the four black-clothed cultivators.

"Faulty intelligence, retreat first!"

The leading cultivator shouted.

However, just as they were about to withdraw, they inexplicably found that the sky suddenly darkened.

As if a dark cloud covered the sky.

Soon after, dozens of golden lights flew out from the dark clouds. With lightning speed, they drew a larger golden bowl in the sky, covering the four people inside.

"Splitting Light Dragon Imprisonment Formation?!"

The black-clothed cultivators' bodies trembled, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Not only did he retaliate instantly, but the formation he used seemed even more exquisite than the one set up by the four Nascent Soul cultivators!

Although the power of the formation was slightly inferior, compared to the widely circulated version in the cultivation world, it had a trace of unknown improvement.

This change made them realize that breaking the formation would require some effort.

At this point, the four black-clothed cultivators had no choice but to go all out.

In the vast golden bowl, independent snowy peaks, misty forests, sword-like mountains, and expansive plains, four unique scenes of immortal realms appeared successively.

Beneath the black clouds and above the golden bowl, Li Fan stood still.

Looking down at the four Nascent Soul cultivators below, a strong killing intent pervaded his heart.

These people were not all proficient in formations; setting up formations required the assistance of magical tools. Therefore, the hastily arranged formation naturally had some flaws.

If it were to deal with ordinary cultivators, these flaws would be inconsequential.

However, in Li Fan's eyes, the "Splitting Light Dragon Imprisonment Formation" they set up was riddled with weaknesses.

After breaking the formation, he immediately countered.

First, he activated the "Only Hand Covers the Sky" secret technique to cover the sky and isolate possible external probes.

Using the "False Words" magical tool purchased from the Tianxuan Mirror to interfere with spiritual symbol communication.

Then, he set up the "Explosive Technique Astonishing Spirit Formation," temporarily elevating his Dao techniques to the Nascent Soul realm.

Following that, he used the Splitting Light Formation to temporarily trap the four individuals.

"When I was in the Foundation Establishment stage, I could already cut down Nascent Soul cultivators."

"Now that my cultivation has advanced to the later stage of the Golden Core, observing the four of you is like picking ripe fruit!"

"Heaven Overturning!"

A giant palm descended from the sky, and the four cultivators in the golden bowl were like turtles in a jar with nowhere to escape.

The snowy peak exuded a chilling aura, the misty forest emitted a ghostly scream, the straight mountain collided head-on, and smoke rose from the expansive plain...

The scenes of the immortal realms changed, and the four individuals used all their means.

Four-colored lights intertwined and converged, colliding with the Heaven Overturning Palm.

But, it was useless!

Like paper, it crumbled with a touch.

The giant palm pressed down, and in the midst of screams, the bodies of the four individuals shattered inch by inch.

The scenes of the immortal realms reappeared, and amidst the wriggling of flesh and blood, they transformed into complete bodies once again.

The residual force of the Heaven Overturning Palm continued unabated, no longer caring about the opponent's physical bodies, instead striking towards the four great immortal realms.

"Boom!"

The immortal realms trembled, peaks collapsed, trees in the misty forest fell, and the ground in the plain cracked...

It seemed like in the next moment, the four great immortal realms were about to be completely destroyed.

However, these black-clothed cultivators cooperated seamlessly. At this critical moment of life and death, surprisingly, none of them retreated.

Their entire cultivation base operated to the extreme, and the four of them, working together, actually forcibly withstood the Heaven Overturning Palm.

The shadow of the giant palm dissipated, and the shaking immortal realms slowly returned to calm.

The four people had a look of lingering fear, quickly extracting spiritual energy from the surroundings to repair the damage to their immortal realms.

At the same time, they took out pills and consumed them, searching for Li Fan's figure.

"This supernatural power is incredibly powerful; Li Fan must have consumed a lot of energy. Seize this opportunity to break the Splitting Light Dragon Imprisonment Formation!"

"This person is definitely not just a Golden Core cultivator on the surface; he may have already recovered from his injuries."

"Exactly, we must convey this information back. This person is likely a bait thrown out by the Wanxian Alliance!"

While seizing the moment to heal, the four individuals communicated through divine sense.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 477: Qi Luck Hurts, Rescuing People

"Strange, where is he?" As their injuries slowly healed, the four searched around but couldn't find any trace of Li Fan.

"Could it be that he exhausted his stamina, realized he was no match, and withdrew in advance?" A hint of doubt flashed across the faces of the five elders.

"Judging from the power of that palm just now, it's very possible. That palm nearly shattered the immortal realms of the four of us. When such a divine ability is used, even if he's strong, he should suffer considerable backlash..."

"That's not necessarily the case. Ancient cultivators are skilled in battle, and Li Fan clearly concealed something before."

"Regardless, we should be cautious. Let's break this formation first!"

The four looked at each other, then joined forces to attack the Splitting Light Dragon Imprisonment Formation that Li Fan had set up.

It seemed that the formation really had no cultivator maintaining it, and the once impregnable defense became extremely weak.

The massive golden bowl seemed on the verge of collapsing in an instant.

Amidst their joy, they increased the frequency of their attacks.

Just as they completely shattered the Splitting Light Dragon Imprisonment Formation, golden light rained down like a shower.

Enveloping the four, it reflected dazzling rays of light.

Under the radiant golden light, they couldn't help but squint.

"Be careful!"

At this moment, the leading cultivator suddenly shouted a warning.

Before the words even fell, accompanied by a thunderous sound, some of the golden light falling around them actually burst open.

Terrifying energy surged from the center of the explosion, sweeping horizontally towards the surroundings.

And there were unexpectedly sixteen or seventeen sources of explosions disguised as golden light.

From all directions, they completely surrounded the five elders.

"Void Shattering Gilded Thunder?!"

In anger and shock, the points of light from the Gilded Thunder instantly turned into light circles, engulfing them all.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

The earth-shaking explosion continued to reverberate over this sea area.

After an unknown amount of time passed, everything dispersed.

In the damaged immortal realms, the flesh of the few individuals slowly wriggled and laboriously took shape.

"Truly despicable..."

"I knew he hadn't gone far!"

The expressions of the few were filled with lingering fear as they quickly scanned the surroundings, but still, they did not discover where Li Fan was hiding.

"Don't entangle with him, let's retreat!" The leader gritted his teeth.

Concealing the signs of their immortal realms, the few no longer cared about anything else, rushing towards the distant Yongliang Prefecture on the edge of the cloud sea.

After flying for a long time, the coastline of Yongliang Prefecture was already far in the distance, and Li Fan did not appear again.

It was as if he had given up on pursuing them.

The four couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

However, when they recalled the life-threatening experience just now, they vaguely felt that something was wrong.

"Third Six, why do I feel like Li Fan deliberately played with us?"

"..."

The one codenamed Third Six, a black-clothed cultivator, remained silent for a moment before speaking in a deep voice, "Although I don't want to admit it, judging from the actual situation, it does seem a bit strange."

"Clearly, he could have used the Gilded Thunder to end our lives after that palm. But he waited until we recovered our vitality before attacking again."

"As if intentionally giving us a breathing opportunity."

At this point, another black-clothed cultivator added, "We just suffered heavy injuries. As long as he initiated another attack casually, he could have completely killed us. But he didn't do that. Instead, he let us go..."

"What is he trying to do?"

The four looked at each other, full of confusion.

"Li Fan is an ancient cultivator who has been dormant for thousands of years, just awakening recently. Obviously, someone like him should not have much sense of belonging to the Wanxian Alliance." After pondering for a while, Third Six suddenly spoke up.

"You mean..." the other three brightened up.

"He figured out the identities of us five elders from the Wanxian Alliance and wanted to establish a good relationship, so he deliberately spared our lives?"

"Very possible."

"I see!"

"Does that mean we can turn him around and have him join the Wanxian Alliance?" Third Six had another clever idea.

"According to the information we gathered, this person was the first to deduce the prophecy of 'Tianxuan Locking Spirits, Xuanhuang Unification.' If we can win him over, not only can we offset the punishment for this failed operation, but we can also achieve a great accomplishment."

With these words, the group was somewhat tempted.

However, in the end, reason prevailed over desire.

The leading cultivator said, "Let's report his situation first when we go back."

"This person is quite mysterious; we must be cautious." Another black-clothed cultivator nodded in agreement.

Third Six felt a bit regretful, "This person's whereabouts are unpredictable and elusive. It's quite difficult to track him down."

Another person added, "Indeed, if it weren't for this mission and the coincidence of encountering him acting suspiciously outside, we might not have been able to do anything to him."

"After all, he is a cultivator from the Heavenly Secrets Sect, proficient in the Dao of deduction. Being able to counter and block deduction techniques is normal."

The group exchanged words, gradually approaching Yongliang Prefecture.

However, they slowly began to notice abnormalities in the surrounding environment.

Even though it seemed very close, no matter how fast they flew, they were still floating above the azure sea of clouds.

Always a slight distance away from Yongliang Prefecture, unable to reach it.

What shocked them even more was that the distant view of Yongliang Prefecture appeared somewhat blurred upon closer inspection.

As if it were not a real existence, but an illusion.

The four individuals stopped their flight one after another, their faces solemnly staring ahead.

After a while, the leading black-clothed cultivator exclaimed, "Not good! It's an illusion!"

"What?" The other three were stunned, then finally realized it, reexamining their surroundings in horror.

Clouds, wind, sea waves...

Everything around them froze in an instant.

Then, like cracks appearing on a glass mirror, it shattered with a thunderous roar.

Faint echoes of the Gilded Thunder's explosion could still be heard in their ears. The immortal realms of the four were in a terrible state, their bodies still bloody and mutilated, not recovering to their original state!

It turned out that time was still frozen at the moment when Li Fan used the Gilded Thunder to ambush them.

"He used our momentary mental lapse during the impact on our immortal realms to create an illusion and pull us into it!"

Third Six finally figured it out and couldn't help but exclaim.

"Deduction techniques, formations, illusions..."

"Indeed, he is an ancient cultivator."

The leader coughed and sighed with emotion.

Trying to activate their immortal realms, absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy, they despaired when they discovered that, at some point, the opponent had set up a formation, turning this area into a vacuum zone devoid of spiritual energy.

Completely preventing the possibility of an Infant Transformation cultivator using the power of their immortal realms to rapidly recover their bodies.

"Excellent technique!" he gazed into the air.

There, Li Fan slowly revealed his figure.

"Coincidence..." Li Fan frowned slightly, muttering.

With his abilities, he could have easily slaughtered the four from the Wanxian Alliance.

The reason he went through all this trouble was to use the Cloud Water Illusory Dream Technique to find out the reason for his discovery during this outing from their minds.

However, what he never expected was that the answer he obtained would be something so seemingly absurd.

Without hesitation, the Five Elements Annihilation Sword swung continuously.

The four Wanxian Alliance cultivators, who were already heavily injured, barely resisted for a moment before tragically dying under Li Fan's sword.

The ominous sign of a cultivator falling from the sky appeared overhead, but Li Fan had no intention of looking at it.

Because he noticed, during the time he was entangled with the Wanxian Alliance cultivators just now, the enormous vortex under the sea suddenly erupted with suction force, pulling Han Yi, who was bound by the "Binding Insects," into the deep hole in the ruins.

"Qi Luck..."

Li Fan stood in front of the vortex, a pensive expression in his eyes.

Chapter 478: Wealth and Power Deter the Martial Arts

"I, who has always been cautious, ended up being accidentally discovered by the Wanxian Alliance's spies this time."

"While Han Yi, who was originally destined to be soul-searched, managed to escape this fate."

"For those with good luck, everything goes smoothly; for those with bad luck, everything goes unfavorably."

"So, this is the power of Qi Luck..."

Li Fan finally began to understand the suffering of Song Yang, who, in the Immortal Ascension realm, tried to seek the Tianming Xuan Bird from Xu Ke.

Staring at the still rapidly rotating vortex in the ruins, after hesitating for a moment, Li Fan ultimately chose not to chase after it.

A premonition told him that forcefully pursuing it might not yield good results.

If even the current Li Fan felt a hint of danger, the depths of the vortex were definitely not like ordinary mortal realms without transcendent power, such as the Departure Realm or the Great Mystery Realm.

"Well, you can't run away from a temple even if a monk runs away."

The aura of No-Phase Killing Intent had locked onto Han Yi, but it had temporarily lost its sense of him.

Once he returned to the Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan would immediately know.

Returning to the surface of the sea, the four Wanxian Alliance cultivators had been completely annihilated under the Five Elements Annihilation Sword, not a hair left.

Li Fan took out the Recording Stone, recorded the scenes in the sky, and calmly returned to the Wanxian Island.

The phenomenon of the four Infant Transformation cultivators falling simultaneously was quite spectacular and lingered for a long time.

Even though this sea area was extremely remote, it still attracted many cultivators to watch.

After seeing the content of the anomaly clearly, they couldn't help but be shocked.

Four Infant Transformation True Monarchs fell in an instant!

What shocked them even more was that the culprit was the same person.

And it was Li Fan, the renowned deduction master from the Cloud Sea, an ancient cultivator from the Heavenly Secrets Sect!

So, there were more questions in their minds.

Wasn't Li Fan supposed to have fallen to the Golden Elixir realm due to a thousand years of slumber?

How could he single-handedly kill four Infant Transformation cultivators?

Isn't he proficient in the Dao of deduction? Why is his combat strength so astonishing?

Who were these four Infant Transformation cultivators with unknown names?

What grudge did they have with Master Li that made him ruthlessly kill them?

With doubts arising, they spread this explosive news to their friends and family.

As a result, the news of Li Fan slaughtering four Infant Transformation cultivators quickly spread from the Cloud Sea.

In the Martial Arts Hall of Wanxian Island.

"Are you here to claim a reward?" The cultivator in charge of reception looked at Li Fan, feeling somewhat puzzled. "What reward are you claiming?"

"I remember that there would be corresponding rewards for successfully killing the Wanxian Alliance's spies, right?" Li Fan patiently asked.

As he spoke, he took out the Recording Stone and played the recorded footage.

"I killed four Wanxian Alliance Infant Transformation cultivators." Li Fan said seriously.

"Cough, cough, cough..." The Martial Arts Hall cultivator suddenly coughed violently.

He snatched the Recording Stone, repeatedly watching it in disbelief.

After a while, he looked at Li Fan with a shocked expression. "You... please wait a moment!"

Saying that, he staggered towards the depths of the Martial Arts Hall.

"What did you say?" There was a faint sound of commotion.

Not long after, Li Fan was respectfully invited to the reception hall deep within the Martial Arts Hall.

Li Fan sat down casually.

Before long, a group of cultivators flooded into the hall.

"Master Li, we have just confirmed that the images in the Recording Stone are genuine." A Nascent Soul cultivator, dressed in a tight-fitting earth-yellow martial attire with a lingering hint of blood, stood in front of Li Fan and said somewhat awkwardly.

"May I boldly ask if you have already restored your cultivation to its former level?" He looked at Li Fan with some anticipation.

Li Fan took a sip of the spirit tea on the table, savored it for a while, and then put the teacup down. He shook his head leisurely, "Fully restored cultivation? No way! I'm still at the late Golden Elixir stage now. Isn't it obvious? Can't you see?"

The air in the reception hall suddenly quieted down.

"This..." The martial-dressed cultivator was dumbfounded at the words.

After a moment, he asked somewhat anxiously, "Then how did you kill those four Infant Transformation cultivators of the Wanxian Alliance?"

Li Fan slapped the table abruptly, startling everyone in the room. He looked at the people disdainfully and said, "What era is it now? Do you have to personally take action to kill someone?"

"In ancient times, each sect operated independently, guarding their own secrets. For personal gain, they set high prices for advanced magical treasures, talismans, and so on. High-level magical weapons, formations, and talismans were as scarce as hen's teeth."

"But now, the Immortal Alliance dominates half of the Xuanhuang Realm, with the coordination of divine artifacts like the Heavenly Mirror. There are no longer unscrupulous merchants hoarding and monopolizing things."

"Those one-time high-damage magical weapons, formations, talismans, etc., are practically as good as free!"

Li Fan shook his head and said, "I've just awakened, so I naturally have to consider my own life more. Buying some of these for occasional use is quite normal, isn't it?"

After Li Fan said this, the martial-dressed cultivator finally understood. He stared blankly and said, "So, you mean you killed those four Infant Transformation cultivators relying on external items?"

Li Fan raised his eyebrows, "What? Don't you believe it?"

As he spoke, he casually took out several Crackspace Gilded Thunder and placed them on the table.

The atmosphere in the Martial Arts Hall suddenly became chaotic.

But Li Fan continued without stopping.

The Furious Fire Sky Formation, the Eight Desolations Annihilation Divine Thunder, the Soul-Sealing Divine Needle, the Demon-Sealing and Demon-Subduing Banner...

One expensive killing tool after another was pulled out by Li Fan and piled in front of everyone.

The Martial Arts Hall fell into a stunned silence.

The cultivators looked at the table full of disposable consumable magical items, their faces turning pale.

"Is this enough?" Li Fan asked casually. "If it's not enough, it's okay. I still have some more powerful things here."

The cultivator in yellow clothes wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and repeatedly said, "Enough! Enough! Master Li, please put away these things first! If they accidentally explode here, it will be a big mess!"

Li Fan nodded in satisfaction at the words, waved his hand, and put away his armaments.

The cultivators in the hall breathed a sigh of relief.

Although these magical weapons were low-quality remnants sold by the Heavenly Mirror and their power had been severely reduced, the high grade and quantity were still overwhelming.

If this pile of stuff fell down, it would be enough to deal with more than just Infant Transformation cultivators; even Nascent Soul cultivators might not be able to handle it!

"They say this person relies on the art of deduction to easily harvest and accumulate wealth. Now it seems to be true."

"Money is really good. This pile of things is worth half a year's budget for our small team."

"I heard that you can invest through He Zhenghao's side to find him? It seems worth considering."

...

For a while, the people in the Martial Arts Hall had various expressions and thoughts.

"Now that there's no problem, let's talk about my reward!"

"To deal with those Wanxian Alliance black-clothed cultivators, I spared no effort. I can't just let myself suffer losses, right?"

Li Fan drank another cup of tea and looked at everyone slowly.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 479: Chasing the Rift-Breaking Realm Whale

The cultivators in the Martial Arts Hall exchanged glances, feeling somewhat awkward.

Indeed, according to the rules, any cultivator affiliated with the Wanxian Alliance who could kill a member of the Five Elders Association could apply to the Martial Arts Hall for a certain reward.

Killing four hostile Infant Transformation cultivators, regardless of the state, could be considered a great achievement.

However, the gentleman in front of them had been too ruthless. The four Five Elders Association cultivators were annihilated without leaving a trace, not to mention the valuable remains and souls.

Although the achievements were dazzling, in practical terms, they weren't that significant.

If no reward was given, it would tarnish his reputation.

If a reward was given, the budget of the Martial Arts Hall in the remote Cloud Sea was not abundant.

Allowing Li Fan to take away a large sum would leave the brothers with difficulties for the rest of the year.

Moreover, Master Li Fan didn't seem like someone lacking in contributions.

Even if the Martial Arts Hall bled heavily, it might not be able to satisfy his appetite.

More importantly, this person now had a great reputation, and forcefully suppressing him or making him "voluntarily" give up the reward was no longer feasible.

So, how to arrange the reward to satisfy both parties was indeed a matter worth discussing.

Li Fan showed an appearance of being unhurried and unwilling to leave until he got a satisfactory result.

The people of the Martial Arts Hall frowned slightly, secretly discussing through voice transmission.

After several confrontations and probes, both sides finally arrived at a mutually agreeable conclusion.

With this extraordinary achievement, Li Fan was able to obtain the position of "Specially Appointed Executor of the Martial Arts Hall," formally entering the system of the Wanxian Alliance.

At the same time, all rewards were issued in the form of merit points.

After estimating by the people in the Martial Arts Hall, it was enough to raise Li Fan's authorization level to sixteen at once.

It should be noted that for ordinary cultivators within the system to reach this level, they would need at least thirty-four years of diligent effort.

Li Fan, on the other hand, ascended in a single step.

For Li Fan, the amount of contribution points didn't matter at all now; settling with merit points was an unexpected and desirable outcome.

So, Li Fan readily agreed.

Next, he cooperated with the Martial Arts Hall to go through the corresponding procedures.

The Martial Arts Hall submitted an application, and the Administrative Hall rapidly approved it.

After another perfunctory performance on the White Jade Inquiry Platform, Li Fan successfully became a member of the Martial Arts Hall in the Cloud Sea.

Then came the distribution of merit points.

After Li Fan left the central core area of Wanxian Island, he not only had the halo of "Ancient Cultivator Proficient in Deduction" but also the additional identity of "Within the System of the Wanxian Alliance, Authorization Level Sixteen."

"With the attention of the public and an official position protecting me, even if someone wants to move against me, they can't do it openly."

Walking on the road, Li Fan felt much safer.

The experiences of many reincarnations in the Wanxian Alliance made Li Fan deeply understand the importance of order and rules within the alliance.

Even an Immortal Dao Ancestor would face consequences if they violated rules or disrupted order.

The cultivator who had his cultivation reduced and was exiled to Lanlinzhou in the previous life was a vivid example.

With the identity within the system, Li Fan undoubtedly gained an additional layer of protection.

However, in order to temporarily escape from the storm caused by killing four Infant Transformations, Li Fan chose to hide and closed himself off in the Heavenly Mirror.

Killing Infants with Golden Elixir strength, and that too in a one-against-four situation, was truly remarkable.

So, the explosiveness of the topic was self-evident.

There was no need to deliberately fuel the flames; cultivators almost spontaneously discussed and spread the news of this miraculous event.

There were skeptics, there were the curious.

There were those eager to try, wanting to fight Li Fan.

When all these people with different attitudes learned that Li Fan had completely relied on purchasing "lethal weapons" from the Heavenly Mirror to kill the four Infant Transformations.

Their reactions were surprisingly unanimous.

"Money is indeed a damn good thing!"

Yes, for some reason, the "truth" of the killing event that should have a high level of confidentiality and only known to the Martial Arts Hall members spread at an astonishing speed.

Almost simultaneously with Li Fan's deeds, they spread throughout the various regions of the Wanxian Alliance.

Regardless of the cultivators' personal attitudes towards Li Fan, they admired his ability to lead everyone to prosperity.

The number of cultivators consulting He Zhenghao increased once again.

Even Senior Brother He, along with Li Fan, gained some reputation among the cultivator community.

However, Li Fan paid no attention to the external storms.

Temporarily cutting off all communication with the outside world, he immersed himself in seclusion within the Heavenly Mirror.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the end of the ninth year since anchoring.

Eight months had passed since the last entry into the Fallen Immortal Realm in August. Li Fan sensed a connection and woke up from seclusion.

"Mr. Bai, the Cultivation Oven Technique..."

Li Fan's eyes lit up with anticipation. After making some preparations, he uttered, "Fortune arises from the Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable."

In an instant, the scene before him blurred once again.

When he came to his senses, he found himself back in the Fallen Immortal Realm.

The first thing he did after entering the Fallen Immortal Realm was not to observe his current situation but to recall the content of Mr. Bai's imparted "Cultivation Oven Technique."

Exquisite and unparalleled sentences suddenly appeared in his mind, once again experiencing the profound and supreme Daoist technique.

Li Fan was once again intoxicated and unable to extricate himself.

"Wonderful!"

He exclaimed once again.

"Little Black, you've finally awakened!"

At this moment, an untimely voice pulled him out of that wonderful state.

It was the somewhat silly voice of He Ke.

Feeling annoyed, Li Fan reached out and grabbed He Ke's head.

Surveying the surroundings, he realized that it was somewhat different from the scenery in the Beast Taming Sect where he had been before.

"What happened while I was sleeping?" Li Fan asked He Ke through mental communication.

"Huh? Little Black, you can finally speak?" He Ke showed a delighted expression and asked somewhat carelessly.

After scratching a few times, He Ke, in a loud voice, began to narrate the events.

It turned out that since the last time Li Fan swallowed and digested Song Yang's Ink Immortal Tiger, He Ke had followed the guidance of the jade plaque given by Lu Ya and successfully met Senior Brother Lu Ya and the Wise Beast Emperor San Mo, who were discussing matters.

Seeing the sleeping Tianming Xuan Niao, Emperor San Mo said some incomprehensible words.

Then, he sent a white object into Li Fan's body.

As a result, Li Fan fell into an even deeper sleep under He Ke.

It wasn't until now that he woke up.

"Are you saying I've spent three years in deep sleep?"

"And you came to this canyon world just to find a creature called the Rift-Breaking Realm Whale?"

Li Fan asked in a deep voice.

"Yes! Little Black, you don't know. Although this big guy has a huge size, it usually hides in the clouds and can conceal its form."

"Ordinary search spells and treasures are ineffective; it's quite difficult to find," He Ke complained.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 480: The Difficulty of Determining Good and Evil

"To encounter them, it's entirely a matter of luck, flying into the clouds one by one to personally investigate," He Ke sighed, touched a colorful sachet hanging from his waist, and muttered, "Just finding them isn't enough; we also have to figure out how to catch them."

"These guys, despite their large size, are more agile than loaches."

"With the slightest movement in the surroundings, they will break through the air. Several times I almost caught them, but they still managed to escape."

"Ah, I don't know when I'll complete the task that Senior Brother Lu Ya assigned. This is the first time he has entrusted me with such a serious task; I mustn't mess it up."

...

As He Ke rambled on, Li Fan listened but fell into contemplation.

According to He Ke's description, the current Rift-Breaking Realm Whales differed significantly from those Li Fan had seen thousands of years later.

Not only were they several times larger, but their temperament had also become fearless, and they even developed strong aggressiveness.

"More like a subspecies with different habits."

"With He Ke's luck, it shouldn't be difficult to capture a group of Rift-Breaking Realm Whales."

"After capturing a sufficient number, they can be selectively cultivated through the methods of the Beast Taming Sect..."

Thinking about the conversation he had heard between Lu Ya and Emperor San Mo in the previous life, Li Fan pondered.

"Capturing Rift-Breaking Realm Whales is actually Mr. Bai's request?"

"So, does this mean that the group of drifting Rift-Breaking Realm Whales outside the small world is also his doing?"

Pulling He Ke's hair forcefully, Li Fan couldn't help but feel confused.

When he saw the Rift-Breaking Realm Whales, who were trying to push the mortal world away from the cultivation world, in groups for the first time, Li Fan exclaimed, "How much resentment did the cultivators of that year have against mortals?"

From his perspective at the time, as someone dedicated to seeking immortality, completely separating mortals from the cultivation world and cutting off the path to immortality was a natural punishment for mortals.

But now that Li Fan was experiencing various events in the cultivation world and understanding how cultivators treated mortals, he had different thoughts.

Cultivators regarded mortals as ants, to be taken and discarded at will.

They even raised them like livestock, using formations to extract their essence.

This was the present, with mortals having fairyland diseases and cultivators somewhat restraining their actions.

In the ancient cultivation world, the fate of mortals was even more tragic.

Used as materials to refine "Life-Prolonging Fruits" and cultivators battling without any regard for the lives of mortals...

Escaping from the control of immortals might not be a bad thing for mortals.

"Could it be that, as the orphans in Ningyuan City say, Mr. Bai is a great philanthropist concerned for the world?"

This thought floated in Li Fan's mind.

"However, I cannot make a conclusion now."

"I still need to gather more information."

At this point, Li Fan once again scratched He Ke fiercely, urging him to quickly find the Rift-Breaking Realm Whales.

Meanwhile, Li Fan himself nestled in his hair, practicing and comprehending the Cultivation Oven Technique while operating the "Fate Is in My Hands" secret technique.

Helping He Ke condense his luck.

After numerous unsuccessful attempts, even the usually carefree He Ke became a bit anxious.

"Rift-Breaking Realm Whales, Rift-Breaking Realm Whales, where are you!"

He murmured repeatedly, his eyes filled with longing.

Li Fan suddenly lifted his head.

He observed that the purple luck radiance above He Ke's head seemed to have dissipated somewhat with He Ke's whispers, disappearing in an unknown direction.

The disappearance of luck had an immediate effect.

Originally, it took more than ten days to find traces of the Rift-Breaking Realm Whales, but now the detections became more frequent.

After continuous attempts, He Ke slowly found a method to approach the Rift-Breaking Realm Whales without being discovered.

However, capturing exotic beasts with the "Myriad Beasts Pouch" was still not an easy task.

(End of this chapter)

Especially for novices like He Ke.

After a stalemate, he eventually managed to break free.

He Ke, drenched in sweat and nearly exhausted, sat on the ground in frustration.

However, he quickly regained his spirits and set out to find the next trace of the Rift-Breaking Realm Whale.

In persistent attempts, the golden-purple luck column continued to deplete.

The rate of consumption far exceeded Li Fan's replenishment through secret techniques.

In the end, it seemed slightly dimmer than before.

But it was not in vain.

Four months later, after numerous hardships, He Ke successfully captured a Rift-Breaking Realm Whale.

The Myriad Beasts Pouch floated quietly in the void, no longer shaking violently.

He Ke excitedly grabbed it in his hand and shouted with joy.

"I finally completed the task! Now I can report back to Senior Brother Lu Ya!"

"Xiao Qing! Let's go home!" He Ke summoned the Bluebird, leaped onto its back, and rejoiced.

Li Fan's gaze focused as he stared at the Bluebird, carefully observing.

The Bluebird completely ignored Li Fan, affectionately rubbing against He Ke with its neck.

Then, spreading its wings, it carried him towards the sky.

"I never expected that, thousands of years later, she would become the 'Sage' of the empire." Sensing the faintly familiar aura on Xiao Qing, Li Fan was somewhat astonished, confirming his previous speculation.

After more than three years apart, Xiao Qing appeared even more divine than what Li Fan had seen in the Meteor Immortal Realm in the previous life.

Not only had her flying speed increased several times, but a faint blue light also appeared during flight, enveloping He Ke and Li Fan, isolating them from the wind and making the ride more comfortable.

He Ke, who hadn't rested for a long time, fell into a deep sleep on Xiao Qing's back.

Xiao Qing continued to fly attentively.

After staring for a long time, Li Fan slowly withdrew his gaze.

Xiao Qing flew higher and higher, and Li Fan stood on top of He Ke's head, looking down.

Only then did he realize that this small world, rather than resembling a narrow gorge, looked more like a scar, cut into this appearance by a sharp weapon.

However, this scar also brought vitality because, aside from this long crack, the rest of the world was a scorched earth.

Crimson flames burned the earth, and ferocious lava flowed freely.

All these destructive forces, however, were stagnant outside the crack.

The power that had cut the gorge still lingered, preventing the flames from eroding further.

Thus, in this seemingly purgatorial small world, a vibrant paradise was created.

"Looking at the problem from different perspectives leads to completely different answers."

Li Fan thought of the issue of mortals leaving the Xuanhuang Realm, as if gaining some enlightenment.

Passing through an invisible passage in the sky, they returned to the Xuanhuang Realm.

As the faint white light slowly disappeared, Li Fan was surprised when he saw the scenery before him.

Because, just now, they had flown out of a painting.