Chapter 626-630: Return and Conceal Against Silver Radiance (6k+ words)
Sixth Martial's move was extremely fast.
Only when the silver dragon appeared did it reveal its true form as a silver spear.
The observation mirror slowly displayed an explanation.
"Spear out like a dragon, unstoppable."
After piercing through Xu Guzhi's body, the silver spear abruptly turned around, piercing through each of the countless sword shadows.
Then, it returned to Sixth Martial's hand, moving slowly as before.
At this moment, the giant swords swung by Xu Guzhi still hadn't touched Sixth Martial's body.
They faded away within the radiance of the silver spear.
Xu Guzhi forcefully spat out a mouthful of blood, looking at the seemingly emotionless "child" in front of him with disbelief.
The reversal of the battle happened in an instant.
In fact, the majority of the spectators, who were cultivators from all around the world, couldn't see clearly what had just happened.
Only through the slow playback of the observation mirror did they understand the details of the battle.
They were shocked.
"So fast! Such a sharp spear technique!"
"Who is this Sixth Martial? He's too powerful! I doubt some Nascent Divinity Paragons could be his match!"
"Friend, whom are you referring to? Feel free to speak."
...
Despite being pierced by the silver spear, Xu Guzhi in the arena didn't immediately concede.
He took a deep breath, and his injuries healed.
Xu Guzhi opened his mouth slightly, swallowing the straight sword in his hand.
Sword into the body, no trace of it visible.
In front of the onlookers, Xu Guzhi disappeared like this!
It was the commentary appearing in the observation mirror that let the cultivators understand what had happened.
"Sword returned to conceal, killing concealed in emptiness."
Sixth Martial's face showed some emotions for the first time.
But it was only a slight fluctuation.
He stood still in the void, extended his right hand forward, making a provocative gesture.
Almost an instant later, an invisible sword light suddenly appeared not far above Sixth Martial's head.
Silently and without any sound, it was about to behead Sixth Martial.
The silver radiance thunderously intercepted the "Concealed Sword," stopping the killing move.
Sixth Martial swept his gaze around but still couldn't find any trace of Xu Guzhi.
Another invisible sword energy approached, impossible to be detected by anyone.
However, just before it was about to touch Sixth Martial's body, it was blocked by his silver spear.
"Although the sword is formless, the intent moves without a heart."
"The spear of martial arts, extreme in speed, shattering myriad methods."
The commentary in the observation mirror appeared again.
Li Fan stared at the two lines of text in the small mirror for a long time, recalling the battle between Sixth Martial and Xu Guzhi, as if enlightened.
Xu Guzhi's Concealed Sword was indeed extraordinary, and even Sixth Martial couldn't detect its trace.
However, Sixth Martial's speed was too fast.
Much faster than Xu Guzhi, a difference of more than one level.
Sixth Martial had also mastered the method of moving without intent, so at the moment of an impending attack, he mobilized the silver spear to intercept the Concealed Sword.
Looking at it this way, Xu Guzhi's attempt to defeat Sixth Martial was obviously an impossible task.
But for Sixth Martial to defeat Xu Guzhi...
Chapter 626: Return and Conceal Against Silver Radiance
It seemed extremely challenging.
Sixth Martial appeared fed up with such mockery; his eyebrows furrowed for the first time.
A tyrannical silver radiance surged from him, sweeping across the surroundings, vowing to destroy everything in its path.
The observation mirror's screen was completely engulfed by the silver radiance.
After a brief blindness, the scene gradually returned to normal.
"Now Xu Guzhi is probably dead."
Just as many cultivators thought this, another invisible sword light, seemingly lingering like a ghost, attacked Sixth Martial.
Xu Guzhi was still concealed somewhere in the arena!
Seeing this, Li Fan's eyes lit up, "This method for self-preservation is really good."
Seemingly irritated by Xu Guzhi's tricky tactics, Sixth Martial unleashed a violent silver electric snake, sweeping through the surrounding space and even creating black void rifts.
Yet, he still couldn't find Xu Guzhi.
Boos and curses emanated from the spectators' seats of the Immortal Alliance.
"What kind of competition is this? Can't win, so he hides?"
"Let's not call him Xu Guzhi anymore; let's name him Xu Turtle!"
Regardless of the comments, Xu Guzhi remained unfazed, concealed in the void.
Incessant sword attacks were launched at Sixth Martial.
Seeing that this battle might go on indefinitely, an unexpected result occurred through the friendly negotiation of both parties.
Dramatically, the first match of the first day ended in a draw!
This result greatly surprised everyone.
Only in the Tianxuan Mirror's "Spread the Law Across the World" section, a cultivator posted a message.
"Damn! It's really a draw! Three hundred times the odds? I've truly turned my luck around!"
This triggered envy and curses from countless cultivators.
After Xu Guzhi and Sixth Martial left the stage and rested for a moment, the second match began.
Li Fan recognized the representative of the Immortal Alliance, nicknamed "Invincible," as a cultivator named Shuofeng.
On the side of the Five Elders, the representative was a lame and disabled person.
This "Lame Daoist," despite his unimpressive appearance, possessed formidable combat strength.
With every movement, it seemed to contain countless powers, distorting space and causing the live broadcast image on the observation mirror to blur.
However, Shuofeng was not easy to deal with. Relying on his brilliant golden armor, he completely blocked the attacks of the Lame Daoist.
After a long battle, Shuofeng seized the opportunity, controlled forty-nine flying swords, and defeated the Lame Daoist.
The second match ended with a victory for the Immortal Alliance.
However, Shuofeng himself showed no signs of satisfaction on his face. He arched his hand toward the Lame Daoist, leaving without saying a word.
It seemed that he wasn't particularly pleased with his own victory.
"Shuofeng's victory lies in the utility of his tools rather than martial bravery."
Unexpectedly, even the observation mirror showed such a comment after the match.
Normally, such a thing shouldn't happen, as it would harm the morale of his own side while boosting the opponent's prestige.
However, it did happen.
"Who is Shuofeng?"
"His magical treasures are impressive! If I had this set of equipment, I probably wouldn't be much weaker!"
"Just you? Dream on! He has a good mother, what about you? Just daydreaming!"
"Good mother? Friend, elaborate."
...
Cultivators from all around the world discussed vigorously. For a while, everyone knew that Shuofeng was the good son of the Scarlet Snow Paragon.
Perhaps this time, he was able to participate in the competition because of his mother.
Regardless of Shuofeng's own thoughts, amidst such enthusiastic discussions, the third match began.
It was thought to be another fierce battle, but the result of the competition came quickly.
With just one punch, the representative sent by the Immortal Alliance was defeated.
And the one who delivered this punch was the seemingly unremarkable peasant woman on the side of the Five Elders.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 627: True Showdown of Celestial Prodigies
As this punch was thrown, silence fell over the Immortal Alliance's arena.
The woman, however, remained incredibly calm, slowly retracting her fist. "Let's go back."
The representative of the Five Elders, with a hint of fear in his eyes, followed the peasant woman and gradually disappeared from the observation mirror's view.
Only when Xu Jing, the peak Nascent Divinity cultivator from the Immortal Alliance, woke up in a daze did the spectators snap out of their shock.
"Wow! That woman is incredibly strong!"
"This punch seems to erase the Dao itself!"
"Did anyone see how she did it?"
Including Li Fan, the spectators kept replaying the recorded scene in the observation mirror.
However, even when slowed down to the utmost, they still couldn't see the peasant woman's movements.
The fist shadows appeared, and Xu Jing was already suppressed and knocked unconscious.
"The peasant woman's three punches, heaven-shaking."
Even the commentator was shocked by this punch, and after a long time, a sentence slowly appeared on the screen.
"Three punches from the peasant woman? Doesn't that mean she still has two punches left to use?"
"Hiss, this first punch easily suppressed Xu Jing, a celestial prodigy. If all three punches were unleashed, who could resist?"
"Shuofeng probably can't handle it, what about Sixth Martial?"
"Sixth Martial's speed is too fast; the peasant woman might not be able to harm him."
"I'm not so sure."
Amidst the discussions, the first day of the competition came to an end.
The final draw result seemed to set a positive tone for this "friendly exchange."
However, as time passed and the results of the remaining competitions in Dao, Tools, Formation, Pill, Talisman, and others all unexpectedly ended in a draw, the atmosphere gradually became mysterious.
If the competitions on the first and second days were draws, it could still be explained as a coincidence.
But six consecutive days, with all matches ending in draws...
The implications behind this began to intrigue.
It seemed like the Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders had secretly reached some agreement, jointly signaling all cultivators.
A "peace" signal.
On either side, they seemed evenly matched.
Restarting the conflict would be difficult, and at most, it would result in a mutual defeat.
In this case, was there any need for further battles?
So, cultivators from all around gradually realized that this "friendly exchange" was nothing more than a large-scale performance.
The final outcome was probably predetermined, with each match following a script.
Spending a hundred contribution points to watch the spectacle and repeatedly analyze the battles of these celestial prodigies provided valuable insights.
For most cultivators, it was a worthwhile experience.
Moreover, this performance seemed to have set the tone for "peace" in the near future, bringing a sense of stability to the hearts of cultivators.
Therefore, even after the end of the friendly exchange, discussions among cultivators continued.
"Observing the celestial prodigies presented in this competition, they are just like this. They are indeed strong, but not beyond our imagination. Now that I'm in the Nascent Soul stage, after my breakthrough, I might be able to fight against them!"
"Right, take that nine-year-old Nascent Divinity cultivator, Sixth Martial, for example. He's still young. Observing his fighting style, it's just about having a faster speed. Upon careful consideration, there might be a way to counter him."
"I share the same thought. It doesn't seem like an illusion, does it?"
"We should strive to cultivate. Maybe next time, if there's a chance for a performance, we can also participate and make a name for ourselves."
...
Just when cultivators thought they could achieve something, Li Fan received a transmission from the Grand Sun Immortal Lord.
"The real competition between the two sides is about to begin. Do you want to come and watch, kid?"
Li Fan's heart moved slightly.
"A real competition? What do you mean, sir?"
Chapter 627: True Showdown of Celestial Prodigies
Hongxi lazily replied, "This friendly exchange is divided into two parts: the public and the private. Publicly, it's a pre-determined exhibition-style competition."
"The participating sides can't reveal their overwhelming and fearful strength. Now that a major battle is on hold, it's time to replenish with fresh blood. If it affects their enthusiasm for cultivation, it won't be good."
"So, both sides haven't exerted their full strength in the competition."
"Privately, we need to truly determine a winner, explore each other's details."
"The entire process of the competition needs to be kept secret, with only two remote viewing slots available for each province. Zi Yun has already observed it on-site, leaving one spot vacant."
Hongxi Immortal Lord explained.
Li Fan immediately agreed, feeling somewhat relieved.
He also felt that the performances of those celestial prodigies were somewhat unsatisfactory. Although their techniques were impressive, none of them displayed awe-inspiring divine abilities.
With equal strength, not to mention comparing with Li Fan, even someone like Zhong Shentong, who mastered the Seven-Colored Divine Light, probably couldn't claim a guaranteed victory.
Now it seemed there was indeed something fishy.
Li Fan arrived at the Ministry of Appointment, where Hongxi had been waiting.
He lightly tapped the table, and the scene changed instantly.
From the city of Cloud Immortals, they moved to the peak of a cloud-filled mountain.
Li Fan was initially surprised, but seeing that Hongxi seemed harmless, he chose to observe for now.
"The real competition is about to begin. Without commentary, it depends on how much you can comprehend."
Saying that, Hongxi waved his hand, and the distant cloud sea surged, revealing a square seal.
The pattern engraved on the seal seemed somewhat similar to the scenery of the Cloud Immortal City.
At this moment, a radiance projected upward from the seal, shining onto the sky.
In the next moment, two figures suddenly appeared.
Not only were they perfectly realistic images, but even their aura and pressure were as substantive as if there were a real mountain pressing down. Li Fan almost had to bend over, struggling to breathe.
The inner celestial realm circulated slightly, not going all out, just slightly easing the burden.
Li Fan stared at the two figures standing above the cloud sea.
One of them was remarkably similar to the previously appeared nine-year-old Nascent Divinity cultivator. Even the attire and weapons were exactly the same.
However, this one appeared even younger, resembling a five or six-year-old child.
"Please instruct!" When speaking, the voice was even more tender, looking extremely cute.
But when he made a move, Li Fan's expression changed abruptly.
He lightly reached towards the front, and in an instant, countless silver radiance fell from the sky, completely dyeing the world into a silver kingdom. It seemed to transform the surroundings into a realm under his control.
In Li Fan's perception, the area in front seemed to have turned into an independent world.
"I'm afraid my Insect Binding Divine Ability will be greatly weakened inside this place."
A thought flashed through Li Fan's mind.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 628: Water-Warmed Duck Prophet
The "Wu" from the Immortal Alliance made an extraordinary move, with a tremendous momentum. The representatives from the Five Elders were no easy opponents.
It wasn't the young man in azure clothes seen before, but a middle-aged cultivator with a cold and imposing countenance.
Countless silver lights kept falling around him, but they were easily dissolved by a gray-white aura.
"Ice!"
A cold and indifferent voice came from the slender cultivator.
As the words fell, Li Fan saw the space around the slender cultivator seemed to be frozen. An endless chill, originating from the cultivator, spread outward.
It seemed like even time could be frozen. When a silver light approached the area around the slender cultivator, it froze in mid-air.
As the ice-covered area expanded, more and more silver lights were imprisoned.
Only then did Li Fan see that the silver snakes dancing in the sky were, in fact, various weapons.
Swords, spears, axes, halberds, hooks, forks!
Seeing his techniques being countered, "Wu" showed no signs of frustration on his face.
Instead, he burst into laughter, clapped happily, then pointed lightly in the direction of the slender cultivator.
With a solemn expression, he retracted his smile.
"Bang!"
An invisible electric light continuously traversed the frozen domain, spreading cracks towards the slender cultivator.
Just before it struck him, the gray-white aura once again dissipated the invisible electric light.
Black emerged in the gray and slowly dissipated, returning to a pale gray radiance.
"Wu" pointed his finger again, and a series of killing moves came forth.
However, the slender cultivator remained indifferent, uttering, "Wind!"
As if causing ripples in calm waters, Li Fan saw the previously penetrating invisible electric lights, now blown away by the strong wind, turning back to attack "Wu."
"Wu" raised a silver light to defend himself.
Crackling sounds echoed, continuously reverberating around "Wu."
"That's more like it..." Even though it was somewhat confusing, Li Fan could feel the brilliance in their battle.
Not wanting to miss any details, he concentrated, observing and recording every trace of the fluctuations in the air.
Hongxi Immortal Lord, on the side, was doing the same. Occasionally, his gaze fell on Li Fan, showing a thoughtful expression.
---
Just as Li Fan was immersed in the confrontation of the true geniuses in the Yellow Heaven Realm, unable to extricate himself.
Outside, discussions about the "friendly exchange meeting" gradually subsided.
Life returned to normal, and more and more cultivators chose to enhance their comprehension in seclusion.
At this moment, the official in charge of handling political affairs in the Cloud Immortal City, Zhou Qing'ang, received an interesting report.
It was from the guardian of Liuli Island, Zhao Changli.
This person was the successor to He Zhenghao. Li Fan had seen him once when he met the cultivators in Liuli Island to explain the fundraising plan. Zhou Qing'ang was meticulous and conscientious but had limited talent in cultivation, reaching only the Foundation Establishment stage.
"Recently, the production of Liuli Pills, a special product of Liuli Island, has significantly decreased. After careful investigation, it was found that the Liuli fish near the island have almost disappeared, and their whereabouts are unknown."
"Also, after communicating with other guardians of neighboring islands, it was discovered that this is not an isolated case in Liuli Island."
"In the Cloud Immortal Sea, there might be some changes happening. However, my strength is limited, and I cannot fully understand it. Feeling anxious, I report this to you, hoping you can discern the situation."
Li Fan looked at this somewhat familiar report and smiled faintly.
"This person is not bad, a talent. Although his cultivation talent is not outstanding, being able to notice the impending disaster in the Cloud Immortal Sea and reporting it is quite rare in the current era."
Li Fan cast a nearly imperceptible glance at the sky.
"It's finally coming..."
After staring for a long time, Li Fan withdrew his gaze.
Chapter 628: Battle Among True Geniuses
There was no response to Zhao Changli's report; it was silently set aside, and other matters were attended to.
The battle between the true geniuses clearly wouldn't have an immediate resolution.
Time flew by, and it took nearly twenty days before the covert competition between the Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders finally came to an end.
On the mountaintop, the scenes above the cloud sea vanished without a trace.
The auras converged, and the large seal was once again concealed beneath layers of white clouds.
Li Fan let out a slow breath.
He had gained a lot from this observation. However, the information he received abruptly was too much to digest at once. It would take some time to quietly contemplate and understand.
"How does it feel?" Hongxi Immortal Lord, in his usual lazy manner, asked.
"I'm dull and only understood bits and pieces," Li Fan cautiously replied.
Hongxi smiled, not refuting his words.
"Understanding a bit is sufficient. By the way, after returning, write a post-match analysis for me. Include, but not limited to, the comparison of strength between our Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders' core forces, as well as possible directions for future development and breakthroughs."
"The more detailed, the better," Hongxi suddenly said.
"Huh?" Li Fan was somewhat astonished by the request.
Hongxi, however, stated it matter-of-factly, "Do you think the long-distance 'True Scene Reproduction' is just for your enjoyment? Each activation of this function represents the disappearance of countless contribution points."
"This is an opportunity that many people would kill for. What's wrong with you writing a post-match analysis? Besides, this is also a task assigned from above. Consider it part of your usual political achievements in Cloud Immortal City. Don't neglect it."
Li Fan could only remain silent in response.
He arched his hand in a gesture of acknowledgment.
"Hurry back, and remember to send it to me promptly." Hongxi waved his hand, and the scenes of the mountaintop and cloud sea abruptly disappeared.
The two returned to the Political Affairs Hall.
After Li Fan took his leave, he returned to the Tianxuan Mirror.
Taking advantage of the recent time, he entered the "Enlightenment" state and simultaneously ingested a Dao Realization Pill.
Relishing the scenes of the geniuses' battles, his mind was immersed in it.
After an unknown amount of time, when he sobered from his enlightenment, a glint flashed in his opened eyes.
Then, it abruptly receded.
"In battles against geniuses, divine techniques and spells won't be as universally effective as against ordinary cultivators."
"For example, my Cloud Immortal Sword and Overturning Palm, despite their extraordinary power, would be challenging to hit someone as fast as Wu, or that slender cultivator capable of freezing everything."
"Only by comprehending more divine techniques and integrating them seamlessly, moving at will, can one gain an absolute advantage."
"In the end, it's because of too little actual combat experience, insufficient experience."
...
Li Fan pondered for a moment and opened the long-unused "Sit and Discuss Dao" section in the Tianxuan Mirror.
Using the Cloud Immortal Sword and Overturning Palm as templates, he virtually created a character.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 629: Tianxuan Channeling Divine Techniques
"Would you like to spend 10,000 contribution points for a divine technique derivation? There's a 1% chance of success on the first attempt. The success probability increases with each subsequent attempt, up to 100%."
Li Fan, expressionless, looked at the prompt that appeared on the Tianxuan Mirror and selected "confirm."
For members of the Immortal Alliance, certain privileges would be gradually unlocked as their merit levels increased, affecting various aspects of their cultivation life. This included reducing the contribution points spent when using teleportation arrays and increasing the number of times the Tianxuan Mirror could recover items at the market's original price.
However, some crucial privileges would only become available at specific levels. For instance, the privilege at level five: the ability to apply for one free long-distance teleportation each year.
The privilege at level ten: When searching for information in the Tianxuan Mirror, one could preview relevant data and item information that would typically be beyond their cultivation realm.
At level fifteen: Once every decade, the ability to randomly connect with a cultivator one realm higher through the Tianxuan Mirror. However, this relationship would not entail any obligations, and its continuity depended entirely on each individual's capabilities.
As for the level twenty privilege, it allowed the expenditure of contribution points for the derivation of divine techniques and battle formations while sitting and discussing the Dao.
However, this derivation was somewhat tricky.
Not only did it consume an exorbitant amount of contribution points, but success was also not guaranteed.
Many internal system cultivators criticized it as a tool specifically designed to reclaim contribution points.
After Li Fan confirmed his choice, a small figure identical to his current appearance immediately started moving.
With a solemn expression, the small figure gazed into the empty space, left palm extended, right hand wielding a sword.
A faint radiance erupted near the small figure, causing the space to distort and blur.
Unexpectedly, the Tianxuan Mirror promptly announced, "The derivation failed this time. Would you like to spend 15,000 contribution points to continue?"
"If you continue, there is a 2% chance of success."
"If you give up, the derivation data will be reset, and the next attempt will start from scratch."
"You can also choose to complete the details of the divine technique data to increase the success rate."
Li Fan directly chose to continue.
The small figure resumed its activity in the next moment.
This time, the scenes of the Cloud Immortal Sword and Overturning Palm being executed seemed more vivid than before.
However, the success probability was still too low. Shortly after, another prompt announced failure.
For the third attempt, the required contribution points increased to 20,000, and the success probability only rose to 3%.
Li Fan remained unfazed and chose to continue.
The third attempt also ended in failure.
Next came the fourth attempt, the fifth attempt...
As Li Fan's small figure displayed the Cloud Immortal Sword and Overturning Palm, the essence of the divine techniques became more apparent. Li Fan gradually understood how the Tianxuan Mirror's derivation of divine techniques worked.
In simple terms, it created a possible goal for the Tianxuan Mirror, attaching the effects and power of the divine technique to it. The Tianxuan Mirror would then reverse engineer the conditions required to acquire this divine technique based on the results and summarize it as experience for the cultivator.
It could be likened to ancient times in the cultivation world when powerful cultivators observed others' battles, learning and replicating the displayed divine techniques with just a glance.
The more attempts made, the more contribution points were consumed.
When the price for each attempt reached 100,000, the success probability barely reached 18%.
"This derivation of techniques is not something an average person can afford."
"The Tianxuan Mirror's derivation ability surely isn't so dismal. It's just intentionally set up to maliciously consume contribution points."
"At this point, after investing so much, the sunk cost is too high. Few would be willing to give up, akin to being deeply entrenched and unable to extricate oneself." Li Fan realized.
After thinking for a moment, he uploaded his insights into the Cloud Immortal Sword and Overturning Palm divine techniques, supplementing the data.
In an instant, the success probability skyrocketed from 18% to 78%, while the derivation cost remained unchanged.
"It seems that derivations with theoretical support are much stronger than arbitrary fabrications."
Li Fan thought to himself and proceeded with another derivation.
In the next moment, a colorful divine light descended from the sky onto Li Fan's small figure. The small figure, as if comprehending something, displayed a look of enlightenment, as if saying, "To hear the Dao in the morning is to die content in the evening."
A long roar echoed from its mouth, and with a single palm strike, the spatial dimensions twisted, and multiple blue sword lights continuously slashed through the air.
As for Li Fan himself, a golden light appeared before him, accompanied by exhilarating music in his ears.
"Congratulations on successfully comprehending the divine technique: [Heaven-Breaking Heart Sword]."
"Divine Technique Description: Unrestricted by form or style, whether it's a punch or a palm, a blade or a sword, all follow the heart's movement, possessing the power to break the heavens."
"Would you like to spend 500,000 contribution points for divine technique infusion?"
"You can also continue to derive [Heaven-Breaking Heart Sword] to refine it further. Remember, the Dao has no limits."
"The first advanced derivation enjoys a 50% discount, requiring only 50,000 contribution points. Success rate: 8%."
With a series of prompts from the Tianxuan Mirror, Li Fan's expression changed, showing signs of strain.
He initially thought that his contribution points were more than enough, fearing that he might never use them up in his lifetime.
Now, it seemed...
Still, can't surpass you, Tianxuan Mirror!
With a trial-and-error mindset, Li Fan proceeded with the advanced derivation.
The first discounted attempt, 50,000 contribution points, 8% success rate, ended in failure.
The second attempt cost soared to 150,000 contribution points, but fortunately, the success rate increased to 10%. Still, it ended in failure.
...
Despite the vast contribution points on Li Fan, watching them continuously disappear felt a bit painful.
In this derivation process, contribution points seemed to lose their original value, turning into mere fuel for advancing the divine technique.
If the success rate steadily increased each time, Li Fan believed that he could eventually derive the advanced divine technique.
However, the Tianxuan Mirror's approach surpassed Li Fan's expectations.
After the success rate reached 50%, and another failure occurred, Li Fan found that it stopped increasing!
Instead, another progress bar appeared before him.
"Specialized Targeted Derivation."
"After the failure of increasing the success rate for the advanced derivation, the progress for targeted derivation can be increased. When the progress is full, you can specify the direction of improvement for the derived divine technique."
"For example, damage, unpredictability, priority, and so on."
...
Although the success rate didn't steadily increase, the contribution points required for each derivation attempt kept rising.
In this way, to derive the advanced version of [Heaven-Breaking Heart Sword], the consumed contribution points were astronomical.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 630: Thousand Years of Immortality
After some contemplation, Li Fan reluctantly gave up.
"You can choose to spend 100,000 contribution points to save the progress of this advanced derivation."
"The next time, you can continue the derivation from the saved point."
"You currently have a total of three divine technique derivation checkpoints, and you can spend contribution points to unlock additional slots."
...
Li Fan fell silent involuntarily.
In the end, he reluctantly chose to save the progress.
He then infused the [Heaven-Breaking Heart Sword] with divine energy.
Suddenly, a burst of colorful radiance erupted from Li Fan's small figure. The figure transformed from substance to ethereal, gradually solidifying into a seven-colored crystal, floating slowly towards Li Fan.
Li Fan grasped it, and after a moment, the crystal seemed to dissolve, becoming smaller and smaller.
In Li Fan's mind, numerous images and insights simultaneously emerged. It was a new divine technique that perfectly combined the principles of the Cloud-Surpassing Sword and the Heaven-Overturning Palm.
The effect of divine energy infusion was even better than self-enlightenment.
After the crystal disappeared, Li Fan had completely mastered the [Heaven-Breaking Heart Sword].
"Congratulations, you have successfully acquired a new divine technique."
"Would you like to apply the new divine technique to your character template?"
Li Fan naturally chose to confirm.
After a moment, a completely new small figure appeared before him.
With a calm expression and a subtle aura emanating from him, the new figure appeared much stronger than the previous one.
Using this new character, Li Fan challenged other cultivators.
Amidst the repetition of the cosmos and the flashing of sword lights, the enemy was defeated.
"You have accumulated one battle experience. Would you like to extract and infuse it?"
The Tianxuan Mirror's prompt sounded again.
"Not for now. Activate the automatic challenge function," Li Fan said in a deep voice.
"The proxy mode has been activated. In this mode, the designated character template will automatically find suitable targets for battle. Each proxy battle costs 10,000 contribution points."
"This fee is quite reasonable," Li Fan thought to himself.
Watching the small figure in front of him engaging in battles autonomously, Li Fan breathed a sigh of relief and temporarily exited [Sit and Discuss].
Although not much time had passed in reality, he felt as if he had experienced a lifetime.
Clearing his head, Li Fan exchanged thoughts with other cultivators about the divine technique derivations from the Tianxuan Mirror.
Only then did he realize that his recent actions were indeed a bit extravagant.
Generally speaking, most cultivators relied on their own enlightenment to derive divine techniques. Only when they were on the verge of a breakthrough and couldn't comprehend it on their own would they seek the help of the Tianxuan Mirror.
There was no other reason; it was simply because the contribution points required for divine technique derivations from the Tianxuan Mirror were too high, exceeding the limit that ordinary cultivators could bear.
"But looking at it from a different perspective, so-called contribution points are just a currency that the Wanxian Alliance uses to maintain its operation, and they don't actually have real practical value."
"If I can control the Tianxuan Mirror's authority, wouldn't I be able to derive any divine technique I want?"
"How formidable can those high-level cultivators in the Wanxian Alliance be after two thousand years of reconstruction?"
Li Fan couldn't help but feel astonished.
However, Li Fan suddenly remembered a speculation he had made a long time ago.
The Tianxuan Mirror might be the true master of the Wanxian Alliance.
Now it seemed that even if the fact deviated slightly, cultivators might not have absolute control over the Tianxuan Mirror.
Rather than saying one side was fully in control, it was more like they were cooperating and constraining each other.
This could be seen from the fact that the Wanxian Alliance wanted to manipulate the [Mysterious Sky Sealing Spirit Array] and had to explore and find clues about the King of Mysterious Sky's teachings.
Having gained a new divine technique, Li Fan, who hadn't fought with anyone for a long time, couldn't help but feel a bit itchy to test it out.
Raising his eyes and scanning the surroundings, for a moment, Li Fan couldn't find a suitable opponent.
Fortunately, the heavens were on his side, and he soon encountered a perfect sparring partner.
Liu San sent a message, indicating that he had returned to the island.
Li Fan's heart stirred, quietly leaving Cloud Mist City, and similarly returning to the island.
Looking at Liu San in front of him, he seemed to have aged a few years compared to before he left.
"It seems that the Prudent Wisdom True Boat can't completely eliminate the impact of the Devouring Essence White Mist." Li Fan suddenly understood.
However, he didn't show that he already knew and instead stared at Liu San, seemingly taken aback.
Then, his expression changed slightly. "Liu Laoshi, what's going on? Has your lifespan decreased?"
Liu San nodded.
Li Fan pretended to be very angry. "Rascal, when I bought the Prudent Wisdom True Boat, that person clearly swore that it could completely isolate the effect of the white mist devouring lifespan."
"He actually dared to deceive me! Watch how I settle the score with him!"
Li Fan was uncontrollably furious and turned to leave.
As Liu San watched Li Fan show great concern and anger for him, a hint of gratitude flashed in his eyes. He quickly stopped Li Fan and persuaded, "Young Master, let it go. We are newcomers, and it's better to avoid unnecessary trouble."
"However, a few years of lifespan is nothing. This old servant's life is cheap, sacrificed for the revival of the Medicine King Sect, it's not worth mentioning."
"Besides, merchants are like that. They tend to exaggerate when selling the Prudent Wisdom True Boat. It might not be intentional deception."
After Liu San's advice, Li Fan's expression fluctuated. In the end, he coldly snorted and gave up the idea of seeking revenge on the spot.
"This trip, did Liu Laoshi gain anything?" After putting on a show, Li Fan asked slowly.
"Fortunately, I did not disappoint!" Liu San showed a faint smile.
"The heavens did not forsake our Medicine King Sect! I almost searched almost all the locations marked by the Young Master, and there was nothing."
"Just when I was about to give up, at the last location, I discovered traces of the Eternal Life Valley!"
At these words, Li Fan's eyes flickered.
Liu San's face was excited, and he continued, "I entered the valley and found that perhaps because the Eternal Life Valley is in the barrier of the white mist, it seems that no cultivator has entered the secret realm for thousands of years."
"Compared to when we left years ago, whether it's the density of spiritual power or the growth density of spiritual plants and herbs, it's much stronger!"
"And the array set up back then is still operating. Over the years, it has automatically collected a large number of mature herbs for storage."
...
Liu San spoke without stopping, concluding, "Reoccupying the Eternal Life Valley, our Medicine King Sect's revival is within reach!"
Li Fan, upon hearing this, also felt invigorated. "Good, Liu Laoshi, you have made a great contribution this time!"
"In a few days, after handling the affairs in Cloud Mist Sea, we will head to the Eternal Life Valley."
Liu San nodded in agreement.
However, he seemed to think of something, and his brows furrowed slightly.
This subtle change did not escape Li Fan's eyes, and he asked, "What's wrong, Liu Laoshi? Do you have any concerns?"
(End of this chapter)