Chapter 656-660: Mr. Bai's Gift (6.5k words)

The so-called "Unified Heart Ring" is a magical artifact personally crafted by Emperor San Mo. Its outer appearance resembles a circular door emitting a blue light. When a demonic beast passes through it, it only takes an instant in the real world. However, during that moment, they will experience countless lifelike illusions.

The content of the "Unified Heart" test naturally examines whether the demonic beast will harm its owner under various extreme conditions.

The creation of this "Unified Heart Ring" is not easy, and the Beast-Taming Sect could only produce one in haste. Although the time required for the test was relatively short, the sheer number of demonic beasts in the sect was overwhelming. This included the disciples' bonded demonic beasts, a large group of ownerless demonic beasts engaged in labor, tending to the spirit fields, and guarding the sect.

Despite being called ownerless, these demonic beasts were all under the domination of the Beast-Taming Sect. Manipulating them was the responsibility of the sect's treasured artifact, the "Wheel of Myriad Beasts." It was said that this wheel bore carvings of almost all demonic beasts in the world. Even newly-born species would appear on it shortly after their inception.

When a demonic beast was born, its soul would be imprinted by the Wheel of Myriad Beasts, and it would forever be unable to escape its control. This treasure was originally brought out of the Sacred Beast Mountain by Emperor San Mo and entrusted to the sect's founding ancestor, "Wan Shi Yong." It was from the Wheel of Myriad Beasts that Wan Shi Yong comprehended the "Beast-Taming True Technique."

However, despite the extraordinary powers of the Wheel of Myriad Beasts, it had many fatal flaws. It had to be used on newborn demonic beasts, and any demonic beast with its soul imprinted on it suffered constant agony, unable to fully develop its intelligence and could only perform simple tasks.

In the art of beast-taming, the key was mutual understanding. Only then could one exert maximum combat strength, as every detail mattered in battles between cultivators of the same level. If the controlled demonic beast lacked intelligence, it was almost equivalent to self-sabotage.

As a result, Beast-Taming Sect cultivators relied on the "Beast-Taming True Technique" to gradually cultivate their lifelong spirit beasts from a young age. They never considered directly selecting demonic beasts controlled by the Wheel of Myriad Beasts.

This led to a difficult situation for the Beast-Taming Sect after the calamity of "Incompatibility of Laws" occurred.

Fortunately, the evacuation operation was personally supervised by Emperor San Mo, and in front of this white-haired and long-eyebrowed old man, both humans and beasts dared not act recklessly. The testing of the "Unified Heart Ring" proceeded in an orderly manner.

By the end of the first day, only about one-tenth of the total number of demonic beasts had been tested. It was estimated that it would take about half a month to complete the selection. The selected demonic beasts, embraced by their owners, would enter the "Boat of Myriad Beasts" and leave for an unknown small world for refuge.

Those who failed the test, despite their reluctance, were forcibly separated from their owners. It was said that these demonic beasts would be temporarily unified and detained. After the entire Beast-Taming Sect safely evacuated, they would be released.

On the seventh day of testing, in the evening, Xu Ke, who had been missing the entire day, suddenly found Li Fan with a panicked expression.

"Xiao Hei, something big is happening. You better slip away quickly."

Li Fan, who was practicing the "Creation Furnace Technique" with closed eyes, opened his eyes and gave the guy a disdainful look, remaining indifferent.

Xu Ke continued, "I'm not joking with you this time. If you stay any longer, you might really lose your life. Don't mind me, just quietly leave the Beast-Taming Sect."

Li Fan yawned, "You better not be joking with me either. I heard from Senior Lu Ya today..."

"Demonic beasts that fail the test won't be released as promised. Instead, they will all be executed. Is that right?" Li Fan interrupted.

Xu Ke was stunned, "How... How did you know?"

"Do I need to eavesdrop on your conversation with my claws? It's something anyone can figure out. Besides, these demonic beasts originally belonging to the Beast-Taming Sect know many secrets. Revealing the evacuation of the Xuan Huang Realm involves the life and death of the Beast-Taming Sect. If leaked, who can guarantee that the demonic beasts won't chase after us to the small world? Escaping will be impossible, and it would be a disaster for the entire sect!"

"That Emperor San Mo isn't a kind-hearted and benevolent person. The methods used to enslave his own kind were given to humans instead..." A dangerous glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.

"In short, these demonic beasts must all die!" Li Fan declared coldly.

Li Fan's words were firm and resolute.

After a long time, Xu Ke finally reacted. He stared at Li Fan in amazement, "Since you've figured it all out, why are you so calm? Aren't you afraid?"

Li Fan raised his head high, staring closely at Xu Ke, questioning, "Joke, what am I afraid of? Could it be that I won't pass the so-called Unified Heart Ring test? You have so little confidence in me?"

Momentarily intimidated by Li Fan's momentum, Xu Ke dared not look directly into his eyes. He stammered, "It's not like that. Nothing is absolute. What if..."

Li Fan swooped over and flew to Xu Ke's head, delivering a fierce claw, "No 'what if'!"

He stated decisively.

Xu Ke wanted to speak but hesitated. Although he was very anxious, he also knew the stubborn nature of this strange bird, and there was no use persuading further.

Anxiously waiting for three days, Xu Ke finally saw the day when Xiao Hei would undergo the test.

Amidst tense gazes, Li Fan entered the "Unified Heart Ring."

Time seemed to stand still in an instant.

The next moment, the Unified Heart Ring suddenly burst into a gentle blue light, the symbol of successfully passing the test!

"Ah! Xiao Hei, you're amazing!" Xu Ke screamed and rushed to Li Fan, wanting to hug him tightly. However, Li Fan kicked him away mercilessly.

"Test passed. Next one," Lu Ya said with some surprise, looking at Li Fan and announcing.

Five days later, when all the demonic beasts of the Beast-Taming Sect completed the Unified Heart Ring test, the Boat of Myriad Beasts was fully loaded.

It was about to set sail towards an unknown homeland.

"Luo Ya, Senior Brother, aren't you leaving?" On the deck, Xu Ke curiously looked at Lu Ya standing at the bow, tilting his head.

Lu Ya reached out and patted Xu Ke's head, "We still need some manpower. The Ten Immortal Sects also need face. If we refuse to load, it won't look good."

Xu Ke nodded seemingly understanding.

"You go now. The future of the Beast-Taming Sect depends on you."

Tying a red string around Xu Ke's right wrist, Lu Ya said with some reluctance.

"Wow, this is the red string Mr. Bai made!" Xu Ke recognized the unique knotting style on the red string at a glance.

Back when they were still in Ningyuan City's broken temple, whenever Mr. Bai healed a sick child, he would tie such a red string around their wrists for a safe future.

Xu Ke raised his hand, holding the red string in front of his eyes, looking at it again and again.

Li Fan also stared at the red string, feeling an indescribable emotion in his heart.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 657: Inheriting the Remains of the Xuan Bird

No matter how you looked at it, the red string in Xu Ke's hand seemed ordinary and unremarkable.

But with just a casual word from Mr. Bai, the creator of the True Profound Art, how could it be an ordinary gift?

Especially when Li Fan's gaze swept over Xu Ke, releasing a bit of the murderous intent in his heart, a deadly sense of crisis suddenly emerged.

Li Fan instantly understood that if he really lost his reason and attacked Xu Ke...

Then the one who would die first must be himself.

But Xu Ke was completely unaware of the preciousness of this red string. Just because it was a gift from Mr. Bai, he felt extremely pleased.

"Let's go, it's time," Lu Ya's gaze was profound, giving Xu Ke a final look.

Then he quietly flew out of the Boat of Myriad Beasts and cast a spell.

A dark light silently enveloped the flying boat, breaking through the void, heading towards an unknown homeland.

At the moment when the flying boat left the Xuan Yellow Realm, Li Fan, standing on Xu Ke's head, felt that everything around him had suddenly frozen in absolute stillness. Then, like a photo undergoing the baptism of time, the colors gradually faded away.

Finally turning into scattered starlight, it burst apart with a roar.

Li Fan knew that this was because he had resolved the obsession of the Xuan Bird of Destiny and completed the "Beast-Taming Sect Transformation."

But unlike before, Li Fan did not directly return to the real world.

Instead, he returned to the distorted and transparent bubble he was in after entering the Immortal Meteor Boundary this time.

Li Fan looked ahead, and a new light and shadow appeared.

In the rapidly changing scenes, vaguely, one could see a giant rift spiraling downward, with a massive stone sword standing in it. Thousands of cultivators gathered around it, working fervently, using the power of the blazing earth fire to continuously smelt various materials.

"It seems like unlocking a new plot. This seems to be..."

"Heavenly Sword Sect, Boundary-Cleaving Divine Weapon?"

Li Fan narrowed his eyes.

Unfortunately, perhaps due to just leaving the Immortal Meteor Boundary, he still couldn't enter this completely new scene.

"Can only wait for next time."

In the fleeting shadows, numerous cultivators shuttled back and forth, leaving streaks of light. However, the Boundary-Cleaving Divine Weapon remained towering, becoming more majestic with the passage of time.

As if possessing a special magic, Li Fan stared at it for a long time, only turning his gaze away as time passed.

Looking at the first two light clusters, although they both belonged to the "cleared" type, they gave Li Fan a slightly different feeling.

"The Longevity Fruit of Ningyuan" was like a completely bright sphere emitting light in all directions, flawless.

While the "Beast-Taming Sect Transformation" only brightened a small part, with the majority still hidden in the shadows.

Li Fan thought with some contemplation, "Perhaps Xiao Hei's obsession is similar to Senior Brother Zhang's back then, just superficially concealed. The true master of the Beast-Taming Sect's spacetime may be someone else."

Several experiences of entering the Immortal Meteor Boundary were cut and integrated into a complete segment, which Li Fan carefully recalled.

Until the surrounding distorted space became unstable and still offered no clues.

The bubble burst, and Li Fan returned to the real world. At the same time, a black feather appeared in his hand.

"The remains of the Xuan Bird..."

Along with the feather of the Heavenly Fate Xuan Bird, there was also a rapidly passing blurry memory.

It was something that truly happened to Xiao Hei in history.

Like Li Fan, Xiao Hei was very confident in himself. Ignoring Xu Ke's dissuasion, he insisted on participating in the "Unified Heart Ring" test.

But it was still a demonic beast, without the fortuitous encounter of Li Fan's Immortal Heart Mantra.

Without any miracles, the final result was naturally that it did not pass the test of "Unified Heart Ring," never harming its owner.

Originally, what awaited Xiao Hei was the fate of being collectively killed along with many other demonic beasts. However, due to Xu Ke's earnest plea, Lu Ya took pity on it. In the end, he made an exception and spared its life.

Just to prevent leaks, Lu Ya asked Emperor San Mao to take action, exiling it to a desolate small world, where it could not leave for a thousand years.

"Xiao Hei, we will definitely meet again."

Amidst the tearful farewell, Xu Ke's eyes were filled with sorrow.

The Heavenly Fate Xuan Bird was also sorrowful, emitting waves of mournful cries. However, it understood that without the restraint of the Beast-Taming True Secret, it couldn't suppress the violent intent within. If it insisted on staying by Xu Ke's side, it might end up harming him.

Forced to remain calm, it used its wings to gently stroke Xu Ke's head, offering comfort.

"Xiao Hei, the next time we meet, it might be a long time. We've both grown up; will you still recognize me?" Xu Ke expressed his concerns.

Just as Xiao Hei was about to mock Xu Ke's seemingly foolish worries, he suddenly saw Xu Ke pat his head and take out a drop of his own blood.

Encased in a brown jade bottle, Xu Ke solemnly handed it to Xiao Hei.

"Here, take this. Don't forget about me." Xu Ke's young face turned somewhat pale, but he still managed to smile bravely.

The Heavenly Fate Xuan Bird let out a mournful cry and swallowed the brown bottle into its abdomen.

After parting ways with Xu Ke, Xiao Hei was cast away to a desolate small world by Emperor San Mao's spell.

The scene shattered, and the memory stopped there.

...

Li Fan recalled the desolate scene in the Xuan Bird's eyes that had just flashed by and suddenly felt a bit familiar.

It was the small world where Han Yi had accidentally entered before, a place with many humanoid beasts.

"That fallen Heavenly Fate Xuan Bird is indeed Xiao Hei."

After contemplating for a moment, a flash of insight crossed Li Fan's mind.

"I wonder if Xu Ke's drop of blood is still there."

"Imperial bloodline, manipulating exotic beasts..."

A vague plan began to take shape in Li Fan's mind.

People from the Empire, like Xiao Qing, Li Chenfeng, and others, were very cautious.

Ever since Li Fan intervened last time, announcing that the Xuan Huang Realm was about to face a great war and temporarily suspending transactions, they all withdrew and disappeared.

According to the last surveillance footage of the Killing Intent Mirage, it seemed like they had temporarily returned to the Empire.

"I haven't tried using a cultivator's blood to create a clone. If Xu Ke's drop of blood is still there, it might give Xiao Qing and the others a little 'surprise.'"

Li Fan's eyes flickered. After a while, he temporarily suppressed this thought and carefully examined the "Remains of the Xuan Bird."

Besides this feather, the harvest from the Immortal Meteor Boundary also included some memories about Xiao Hei's innate divine ability, "Fate Lies with Me."

Although lacking the bloodline of the Heavenly Fate Xuan Bird, using this feather could still produce certain effects.

Storing the "Remains of the Xuan Bird" inside, a familiar sensation similar to when he practiced with the possessed Xuan Bird surged in Li Fan's heart.

His perspective suddenly rose, and Li Fan observed his own spiritual fortune.

A nearly imperceptible white column of smoke seemed as if it could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 658: Absorbing Reversed Fortune

"White, green, blue, red, purple—even among ordinary people, my spiritual fortune is considered extremely dismal."

Li Fan squinted his eyes, facing this depressing fact, but there was not much turbulence in his heart.

Spiritual fortune, after all, was just one of the factors that could influence a person's destiny and the opportunities they obtained. For Li Fan, who could continually reincarnate, opportunities could be sought if they didn't come. As long as it wasn't the kind of dark misfortune that brought various calamities and uncertainties, it wouldn't have much impact.

Following the cultivation method of "Fate Lies with Me," Li Fan practiced for nearly half a day. However, he couldn't help but frown and stop.

"After all, relying on just a feather, progress is too slow compared to a real Xuan Bird. Without someone like Xu Ke who can absorb spiritual fortune, just cultivating like this, I'm afraid it will take hundreds of years to cultivate a substantial spiritual fortune."

"Spiritual fortune, hm..."

Frustrated in cultivation, Li Fan instantly changed his perspective.

"With True Vision assisting me, who can foresee events, I don't really need spiritual fortune."

"The entanglement of fortune and destiny, resonating with the heavens, circulating in the world—revealing it outwardly is a vulnerability. Perhaps one day, it might be calculated by a cultivator skilled in this Dao..."

Li Fan's mind moved, and a plan took shape in his mind.

Activating his divine power, this time he didn't choose to nourish his own spiritual fortune. Instead, he reversed the direction, channeling all his meager spiritual fortune into the Xuan Bird's feather within his body.

In Li Fan's view, a small vortex seemed to appear on his body. The thin white column of smoke struggled for a moment but couldn't resist being drawn into it.

Perhaps due to his inherently thin spiritual fortune, Li Fan didn't feel any discomfort until it was completely absorbed.

Now, even if Li Fan used the divine power of the Heavenly Fate Xuan Bird, he couldn't observe the existence of a spiritual fortune column above his head.

It was as if he were the legendary "Man without Fortune."

"All good luck and opportunities have nothing to do with it, but conversely, the possibility of being afflicted by spiritual fortune backlashes and encountering disasters is greatly reduced."

Examining the Xuan Bird feather in his dantian after absorbing Li Fan's spiritual fortune, it seemed to shine a bit brighter than before.

"After all, I'm not a true Man without Fortune. Although spiritual fortune may temporarily dissipate, it will regenerate with daily activities. But I can use this feather to reabsorb the spiritual fortune."

"At crucial moments, I can release all the accumulated spiritual fortune in the feather, and perhaps achieve a miraculous effect of turning decay into magic."

With a quick change of thought, Li Fan was satisfied with the harvest from this Immortal Meteor Boundary.

After sensing it, it seemed that it would take a little more than a year before he could re-enter.

"Heavenly Sword Sect..."

"In the first two scenes, Mr. Bai played a vaguely important role. I wonder what connection he has with the forging of the Heavenly Sword Sect."

After a moment, Li Fan suppressed his thoughts.

While he wandered in the Immortal Meteor Boundary, Liu San had already informed all the sect disciples of the method to enter it.

When they heard that they could return to ancient times through unconventional methods, the disciples were very excited and eagerly tried it out.

The time and space they entered were varied and diverse.

After they woke up, Liu San ordered specific individuals to collect and organize their observations. In Liu San's view, the Immortal Meteor Boundary was simply a vast treasure trove—a free trial secret realm. If utilized well, it could greatly accelerate the revival process of the Medicine King Sect.

When Li Fan learned about this, he sent the disciples the "strategies" he had read in the Immortal Seeker forum to make their exploration more efficient.

Regarding the gains in the Immortal Meteor Boundary, Liu San had proposed having the disciples submit them all for Li Fan to distribute.

However, Li Fan vetoed it.

Taking away someone's opportunity was akin to killing their parents. The blood relations hadn't reached the point where they could consider others as slaves. For the sake of trivial benefits, if it aroused the disciples' rebellious hearts, it would be a loss.

"Stability is the top priority." Li Fan reminded Liu San once again.

Amidst Liu San's flattering words of "Young Master's temperament, I am inferior," Li Fan quietly left the Eternal Life Valley.

As he traversed through the white mist, about to return to the normal territory of the Immortal Alliance, he suddenly discovered a group of Nascent Soul cultivators patrolling and being on guard outside the white mist barrier.

Clearly, it was due to the continuous harassment and attacks by the Five Elders.

With a slight smile, Li Fan silently bypassed them and headed straight for Luo Yan Prefecture.

The target was none other than Han Yi, who had already turned into a stone statue.

Li Fan didn't know what changes had occurred in Han Yi's body, but the stone statue he turned into was indeed somewhat bizarre.

Before, Li Fan had investigated through the Heavenly Mirror. After a long time had passed, countless cultivators had passed by him, but not a single one could detect Han Yi's presence. Not to mention the fact that the stone statue he transformed into was continuously devouring the spiritual fortune of the surrounding living beings.

From various traces collected, it seemed that the influence of Han Yi was gradually expanding.

It could be anticipated that if he continued to remain unconscious, one day, perhaps the entire Luo Yan Prefecture would be affected.

Even though Li Fan knew about this before, without a method to resist the absorption of spiritual fortune, he wouldn't risk his life to investigate.

Now, with the Heavenly Fate Xuan Feather in hand, he could try.

Over ten days later, Li Fan arrived at the mortal town in his memory.

It was not far outside this town where Han Yi had been turned into a stone statue by a fisherman at a glance.

At this moment, the mortal city was evidently already within the range of Han Yi's stone statue.

Looking around, Li Fan saw a dense black entanglement on the spiritual fortune columns above the heads of the mortals, regardless of their quality.

The specific manifestation was that all the mortals in the city were plagued by misfortune, and everything went wrong.

Tripping and getting injured for no reason while walking were considered mild. There were also cases of people choking to death while eating, businesses failing, and families falling apart. Some mortals had sensed that something was wrong recently and tried to escape.

However, often, they would die halfway due to various inexplicable reasons.

Observing from the sky for a while, Li Fan noticed that when mortals died, the spiritual fortune columns above their heads instantly dispersed. The entwining black color took advantage of this opportunity to feast and completely swallowed them. After a satisfying meal, it abruptly disappeared, leaving no trace.

"Quite interesting."

Just as Li Fan was thinking this, he suddenly felt a chill behind him, as if something was swiftly attacking him.

His expression changed slightly, and his figure instantly dodged, barely avoiding a sword light.

"Fellow Daoist, be careful!"

The sword light grazed Li Fan and struck the mortal city below.

"Boom!"

In an instant, the entire city was destroyed by the sword light. The mortals in the city hadn't even had time to utter a cry of agony before they were all dead.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 659: Stirring War, I Am Invincible

It seemed like Li Fan could still feel the chilling sword energy passing by him. Looking down at the mortal city that had turned into a large pit and no longer existed, his face twitched involuntarily.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly; otherwise, if hit by this sword light, not only would his body be destroyed, but it might also harm the foundation of his Dao Cave.

It was a good thing he wasn't too unlucky and didn't get too close. Otherwise, being contaminated by the celestial and mortal miasma, he might have suffered for nothing!

"Is the influence of Ji Yun so great even from such a distance from the stone statue?" Li Fan shivered. He drew and replenished his consumed spiritual fortune from the Heavenly Fate Xuan Feather. Silently activating the Domain of Heavenly Fate, he prevented the loss of spiritual fortune.

As the smoke below dissipated, a wooden sword was seen directly inserted into the bottom of the large pit.

It seemed somewhat familiar.

"Oh, my apologies, Fellow Daoist!"

At this moment, the owner of the wooden sword arrived late, looking embarrassed and apologetic as he spoke to Li Fan.

"Blame my lack of skill; I almost endangered your life!"

Li Fan looked at the person, although he didn't recognize him, he was not unfamiliar with this man.

He was none other than the famous second-generation immortal, the well-behaved son of the Scarlet Snow Immortal Venerate, nicknamed "I Am Invincible," Shuo Feng!

Not long ago, he appeared during the "friendly exchange" between the Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders, but back then, he was at the Nascent Divinity stage.

Now, he appeared to be only at the Foundation Establishment realm!

"Not concealing cultivation, did he lose control due to stimulation and have to rebuild?" Li Fan's gaze swept over Shuo Feng, and a barely noticeable glint of insight flashed in his eyes.

"Turns out it's Fellow Daoist Shuo Feng!" Li Fan archly saluted, "I thought it was some lackey from the Five Elders causing trouble again!"

Shuo Feng's face reddened slightly.

It was not surprising that the other party recognized him. He quickly explained, "It's a misunderstanding, really. Originally, I was cultivating in the air, but I don't know how, this wooden sword suddenly went out of control. Thankfully, Fellow Daoist reacted quickly; otherwise, I would have caused a disaster for nothing!"

"Hehe, it's nothing. I can see that Fellow Daoist didn't do it on purpose. However, Shuo Fellow Daoist, what happened to your cultivation level?" Li Fan observed the other party, intentionally showing a hint of doubt, then asked.

Shuo Feng didn't conceal it either and confessed, "It's nothing, just felt like I took the wrong path before. Starting anew now!"

Although Li Fan already knew this, he still looked shocked. After observing Shuo Feng for a long time, he shook his head slightly and sighed, "The Nascent Divinity realm is already the ultimate goal that most cultivators dream of. But Fellow Daoist actually has such determination to rebuild after reaching that realm..."

"Admire, admire!" Li Fan praised.

Shuo Feng smiled indifferently, "I don't deserve such praise from Fellow Daoist; I'm just a bit stronger than ordinary people. Relying on my mother's backing, even if I fail in my reconstruction, I'll only be a Foundation Establishment cultivator for the rest of my life. How many in the Immortal Alliance would dare to look down on me? If an ordinary cultivator fails, they might never recover."

Li Fan smiled without agreeing or disagreeing.

Instead, his gaze turned to the wooden sword in the huge pit below, and he frowned, "Although Fellow Daoist has rebuilt, it's obvious that you are not an ordinary cultivator. Judging from the speed and power of this wooden sword, I'm afraid even an average Golden Core cultivator could be easily killed."

Shuo Feng also agreed, saying, "Fellow Daoist has a keen eye. This wooden sword..."

He paused, then continued, "To be honest, this sword is a rare and peculiar treasure I obtained during my reconstruction. But even though I successfully rebuilt with its help, I still can't completely control it."

"It's quite a headache." Saying so, Shuo Feng pointed down.

However, the sword in the pit only swayed for a moment, not responding to Shuo Feng's call, still stuck in the ground.

Even if Shuo Feng, who had a lofty demeanor, couldn't help but show a trace of embarrassment on his face.

With a light cough, Shuo Feng consecutively performed three magic techniques.

Finally, the wooden sword was called back to his side.

Li Fan carefully looked at the wooden sword in front of him. It could no longer be described as "ordinary."

The sword had no intricate patterns, nor did it emit a mysterious aura. It could even be said to be quite "simple," like a child's toy made of wood.

However, judging from its powerful strike just now, Li Fan knew this item was not as ordinary as it seemed.

With a thought, Li Fan suddenly suggested, "This sword is interesting. It just so happens that I have some understanding of the way of the sword. I've been looking for a suitable opponent to exchange pointers. How about..."

Chapter 659: Stirring War, I Am Invincible

Shuo Feng was overjoyed at Li Fan's proposal, praising, "I just broke through and was worried about finding a suitable opponent to spar with. Fellow Daoist's words hit the mark for me!"

With a serious expression, Shuo Feng lightly gripped the wooden sword, stepping back to create some distance. He pointed at Li Fan and said, "Let's stop at this point!"

"Good!" Li Fan responded loudly.

As soon as his voice fell, ninety-nine blue water swords took shape. They formed a sword formation in the air and swiftly flew towards Shuo Feng.

This was Li Fan using the power of the water attribute Dao Cave, with the essence of the Ocean-Securing Divine Sword from the Cloud, Water, and Sky Palace as the core, mimicking a spell. There was no room for mercy, as he fully mobilized the power of an entire Dao Cave, despite Shuo Feng being only a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Water Dragon's Roar!"

With Li Fan's loud shout, the blue water swords instantly transformed into numerous water dragons, rushing towards various corners of Shuo Feng's body.

Facing Li Fan's seemingly ruthless attack, Shuo Feng was not surprised but delighted.

With his eyes closed, just as the eighty-one water swords were about to reach him, he slowly swung his sword.

It seemed extremely slow, but it was actually incredibly fast.

"Ding!"

"Ding!"

"Ding!"

...

Like a white lightning bolt, he traversed through the sea of water dragons.

As each wooden sword collided with the blue water swords, crisp metal clashing sounds echoed.

In the blink of an eye, the wooden sword traversed through all the water swords.

Shuo Feng sheathed his sword.

As if he had exhausted all his strength, his arm trembled slightly.

And the next moment, the eighty-one blue water swords, which should have been under Li Fan's control, unexpectedly reversed and attacked Li Fan.

Moreover...

There seemed to be a more mysterious change on them. The composed azure water dragon, in Li Fan's eyes, seemed to come alive.

Faintly, a dragon roar could be heard, and within the sword energy, a roaring blue dragon appeared.

"This is..."

A flash of brilliance crossed Li Fan's eyes, but his reaction was not slow at all.

The world was instantly illuminated by the blue light.

A sword light slashed out from in front of Li Fan, unstoppable, tearing apart the blue water dragon.

Its momentum didn't diminish, and in an instant, it arrived in front of Shuo Feng.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 660: This Object, A Wonder of Heaven

In the next moment, it seemed like Shuo Feng was about to be split in half by Li Fan's sword energy.

However, at this critical moment, Shuo Feng swung his sword again.

"Dang!"

The sword energy struck the wooden sword, producing a sound like a hammer hitting a large bell.

The two of them momentarily held their positions.

In an instant, the sword energy abruptly changed direction, swiftly attacking Li Fan.

Moreover...

It was faster, and the sword's momentum was sharper!

Locked onto by the returning sword energy, unable to dodge, Li Fan had no intention of revealing his true strength. Besides, this probing had achieved its purpose.

He extended his right hand, revealing the water attribute Dao Cave, and invoked the power of the Dao Cave domain to suppress the sword energy.

"Boom!"

This sword energy, originally from Li Fan, seemed to have gained a few more attributes of "sharpness" after being hit back by the wooden sword.

Even though it was trapped in the Dao Cave domain, it didn't lose its momentum, attempting to break through the constraints.

Li Fan snorted coldly and increased his strength.

Finally, he completely suppressed it.

At this point, looking at Shuo Feng again, he didn't take the opportunity to launch an attack. Instead, he seemed to have encountered some problem, trying to calm down the violently shaking wooden sword.

"Let's stop here for this exchange! I'm two realms higher than you, and yet, we've been evenly matched; I've already lost." Li Fan sighed deeply, shaking his head.

"The proud sons of heaven are indeed the proud sons of heaven, whether at Foundation Establishment or Nascent Soul realm..."

"It's far beyond the reach of us ordinary mortals." Li Fan seemed somewhat disheartened.

Taking a deep breath, Shuo Feng, who had regained control of the wooden sword, couldn't help but comfort, "Fellow Daoist, don't be too hard on yourself. Most of the credit for reaching this level goes to this wooden sword."

Perhaps because Li Fan's temperament was quite to Shuo Feng's liking, or maybe it was because he already had the upper hand, after hesitating for a moment, Shuo Feng proudly said, "I won't hide it from Fellow Daoist. This sword..."

"Is truly a wonder of heaven!"

"The defeat of Fellow Daoist is not due to a lack of skill in battle!"

Stroking the sword body gently, Shuo Feng's face showed a hint of infatuation.

Hearing this, Li Fan squinted his eyes.

Feigning an extremely shocked expression, he stared fixedly at the seemingly unremarkable wooden sword in Shuo Feng's hand. "A wonder of heaven?"

"Fellow Daoist, are you joking? Wonders of heaven conform to the heavenly dao, ethereal and unseen, not manifest in the mortal world. The only known one is the legendary Yanfa Jade."

"This broken sword is also considered a wonder of heaven?" Li Fan deliberately spoke in such a way.

Shuo Feng chuckled lightly, "I, with my Foundation Establishment cultivation, how could I be mistaken? This wonder of heaven is called the 'Sword.'"

While speaking, Shuo Feng lightly waved the wooden sword, creating a display of sword blossoms.

"Sword?"

Li Fan's heart trembled.

"Could it be that this object is a convergence, an embodiment of the laws of the Xuanhuang Realm's sword?" he couldn't help asking.

Shuo Feng nodded, pointing the wooden sword towards a nearby lush tree.

In Li Fan's gaze, that tree underwent a mysterious transformation in an instant. With a gentle breeze, leaves falling from the branches danced in the wind.

As it brushed against another tree, it seemed like an unparalleled sharp sword slashing through the air.

The tree was immediately cut in half.

Another strong wind stirred, and the leaves, influenced by the touch of the wooden sword, behaved like a peerless swordsman, continuously making strikes.

One by one, the trees around it collapsed.

This strange scene left Li Fan stunned.

"Perhaps what Fellow Daoist said is not false!" he deliberately pretended to be stunned and stammered, "A wonder of heaven?"

"Fellow Daoist is not joking, this wonder is named the 'Sword.'"

As he spoke, Shuo Feng lightly swung the wooden sword, creating a shower of sword blossoms.

"Perhaps, what Fellow Daoist said is not false!" feigning a tone of amazement due to shock, Li Fan slowly said.

Chapter 660: This Object, A Wonder of Heaven

Shuo Feng smiled slightly, "Of course. This object is something I obtained at the risk of my life from the ruins of the Sky Sword Sect."

Looking at the wooden sword in his hand, Shuo Feng recalled the scene, "If Fellow Daoist hadn't witnessed it with your own eyes, you wouldn't be able to imagine the shock I felt at that time. In the sword tomb of the Sky Sword Sect, there are buried over a million swords. But all these ancient swords, haphazardly inserted into the ground, all pointed in the same direction, slightly curved."

"It's like paying homage to the emperor in the swords."

"And in the very center of the million sword tomb, I found it."

A hint of pride flashed on Shuo Feng's face, "At that time, I knew that defying my mother's opposition and insisting on rebuilding was an extremely correct choice."

"Otherwise, how could I have encountered this?"

"Sky Sword Sect, the sword tomb..." Li Fan stared at the wondrous object from the heavens, the "Sword," and countless thoughts flashed through his mind. However, he ultimately abandoned the idea of immediately using his insect-binding divine technique to claim the item as his own.

"A wonder of heaven..." Li Fan's eyes were full of envy.

Then, with a somewhat strange tone, he asked, "For such a confidential matter, Fellow Daoist is casually telling me, a passerby? Aren't you afraid of spreading it, making it widely known?"

Shuo Feng waved his hand arrogantly, "I act according to my own will. You know my identity, and during our recent sparring, you didn't hesitate and went all out. Excellent!"

"Moreover, even if you were to tell others about this matter, so what? If you obtain such a divine object and cannot show it off to others, but instead hide it, how is that different from sneaking around in the dark?"

"But having a rare treasure may attract the covetousness of others..." Li Fan paused, seeming still unable to understand.

"Covetousness?" Shuo Feng suddenly burst into laughter at this moment, exuding an unparalleled domineering aura.

A golden light armor appeared on his body, emitting an extremely powerful pressure, even causing Li Fan to involuntarily step back.

"Although this wonder of heaven is extremely rare, it is useless for cultivators at the Dao Fusion realm and above."

"Below the Dao Fusion realm, who can harm me? Moreover, even if it's a Dao Fusion powerhouse, it's not necessarily able to break through the defense of this armor."

Shuo Feng pointed to the golden armor on his body, speaking with a somewhat complex expression.

Li Fan could only remain silent.

"So, this is the confidence of the top second-generation immortals in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance..."

"But it's good. Without your confidence, it would take me some effort to extract information about this wonder from you."

Suppressing his thoughts, Li Fan looked at Shuo Feng, who had already put away the golden armor, and asked again, "Although Fellow Daoist's wooden sword is indeed extraordinary, I always feel that its specific performance seems to differ slightly from the legendary wonder of heaven."

"Is it because Fellow Daoist has not yet fully mastered it?"

Hearing this, Shuo Feng's face showed a hint of helplessness.

"Fellow Daoist observes carefully! The wonder of heaven is indeed extraordinary. Even though I have used it for Foundation Establishment, I still can't completely control it. Sometimes, it even goes beyond my control."

"I nearly injured Fellow Daoist just now because of this."

Hearing this, Li Fan suddenly remembered scenes from his previous life when Shuo Feng was fighting with Su Xiaomei.

(End of this chapter)