Chapter 676-680: Heart Intent Aids Pill Refinement (6k+ words)

Upon hearing the Heavenly Mirror's prompt, Li Fan squinted his eyes.

"Heart-Ascension Pill, ranked over three thousand in harm level? What kind of stuff have the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance cultivators been messing with in recent years?"

Although a certain plan declared bankruptcy earlier, Li Fan didn't feel much surprise. After all, stability comes first in the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance. Any item that could cause turmoil would inevitably face strict control.

Just imagine the destructive power a cultivator addicted to the Heart-Ascension Pill could unleash.

Not being prohibited would be abnormal.

"Really unlucky! It's actually a damn prohibited item!" In the Heavenly Mirror, Li Fan pretended to look frustrated.

"However, no matter what, I put a lot of effort into getting it! Instead of destroying it..."

Li Fan feigned a fierce expression.

"I might as well swallow it myself!"

Having said that, he was about to ingest the pill right in front of the Heavenly Mirror.

"Warning: After taking the Heart-Ascension Pill, the cultivator will be subjected to imprisonment and addiction treatment based on the potential harm level. This will cause irreversible damage to the cultivator's body and mind."

"Warning..."

Li Fan's body slightly stiffened, and his act of taking the pill came to a halt.

Muttering to himself, Li Fan crushed the Heart-Ascension Pill in his hand.

"Now that's done!"

"No, I can't let it go! That bastard dared to deceive me; I have to settle the score with him!"

Seemingly angrier the more he thought about it, Li Fan immediately left the Heavenly Mirror, exited Luo Yan City, and flew towards the depths of the wilderness.

It wasn't until he reached a desolate area, ensuring that no one was tracking him, that Li Fan stopped.

Transforming into light, he delved into the underground, expertly digging out a hidden chamber.

Li Fan took the small amount of Heart-Ascension Pill powder he had intentionally saved and began to reassemble it.

In an instant, a miniaturized Heart-Ascension Pill, reduced by dozens of times, appeared in Li Fan's palm.

Splitting it into two halves, Li Fan stared at one of the halves and swallowed it.

It wasn't that Li Fan had developed a drug addiction; he was verifying a certain speculation in his mind.

The mini Heart-Ascension Pill melted in his mouth, turning into a warm stream that instantly flowed throughout his body.

Feeling a slight dizziness, Li Fan, in a trance, seemed to see the intricate network of heaven and earth he had witnessed when comprehending the Dao with "Human Dao Stardust" in the past.

This time, it was even clearer than before.

As if it were within arm's reach, the principles of heaven and earth were displayed in front of Li Fan without any reservation.

Unable to control his surprise, Li Fan involuntarily widened his eyes to get a clearer view.

At that moment, the effects of the pill faded.

The scene in front of his eyes instantly shattered, disappeared without a trace.

An indescribable sense of emptiness surged into Li Fan's heart.

"Damn it! Just a bit more!"

"The principles of heaven and earth were once so close to me..."

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 677: 心意助炼心 (Heart Intent Aids Pill Refinement)

"Hurry, quickly let Liusan refine more!" 

Such thoughts, like a violent whirlwind, instantly invaded Li Fan's mind.

Li Fan stood up abruptly but did not leave the secret room. Instead, his face twisted into a grimace.

"Why should I seek mere pills when I aspire to become an immortal?"

"For ordinary people, missing the opportunity to ascend to immortality might be a lifelong regret. But for me..."

"A momentary opportunity is an eternal one. Take it endlessly! If missed in this life, then the next. If missed in the next life, then the one after that!"

Li Fan, with his own will, began to resist the effects of the Heart-Ascension Pill.

His face distorted, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

He exerted all his strength to fight against the desires raging within him like untamed wild horses.

So, for nearly half a day.

After all, it was just a bit of powder, not the complete Heart-Ascension Pill. Surprisingly, Li Fan managed to resist the addiction.

As various distracting thoughts receded, there was no longer any craving when he thought of the Heart-Ascension Pill.

"This thing is indeed formidable. If it were a complete Ascension Pill, with just my current willpower, I'm afraid I still couldn't resist the temptation."

"However, if assisted by the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra, it would be different."

Li Fan breathed a sigh of relief, revitalized, and then swallowed the remaining half of the Ascension Pill.

The moment desire surged, he activated the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra.

Just like before, Li Fan once again saw the vast net woven from the principles of heaven and earth.

But with the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra in effect, Li Fan's mind remained calm, free from any impulse.

In this way, Li Fan patiently waited for the effects to pass.

When the illusion in front of him suddenly disappeared, and the emptiness and desire surged back into his heart, the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra slowly operated. It instantly absorbed and transformed these desires into nourishment for the Immortal Heart Mantra, preventing them from affecting Li Fan's mind.

"Claiming to be an immortal in front of immortals is truly laughable." Li Fan's mind remained unmoved.

"Regardless, one thing is confirmed. Taking the Heart-Ascension Pill can assist in practicing the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra, and there's no need to worry about side effects."

After the desires disappeared, Li Fan stopped the operation of the Immortal Heart Mantra.

For now, he couldn't maintain the Immortal Heart Mantra like an instinctive breath. Perhaps when he completed the Immortal Heart Mantra, he could achieve such an effect.

Leaving the underground secret room, on the way to Tianlingzhou, a thought suddenly emerged in Li Fan's mind.

"Taking the Heart-Ascension Pill, the visions of the principles of heaven and earth are just almost real illusions. Even if I swallow more, I can't have substantial insights. But on the other hand, if I could see the true principles of heaven and earth, those that cultivators are destined not to understand, wouldn't the effect be better?"

"After all, even the most realistic illusions can't compare to real existence."

"Perhaps an elixir that truly helps cultivators comprehend the Dao won't be banned by the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance. If we include one or two elixirs containing principles of heaven and earth that cultivators can comprehend among a batch of ineffective Dao elixirs..."

Lost in his thoughts, Li Fan couldn't help but reveal a somewhat sinister smile.

When Li Fan arrived at Tianling City, he temporarily put aside his thoughts.

He went straight to a shop selling Tianling Flowers.

"Shopkeeper, give me a basin of Tianling Flowers," Li Fan said.

"Sure, guest, come this way and take a look. We have everything from sixteen to twenty petals, all high-quality products."

The shopkeeper warmly greeted him.

After scanning the dozens of Tianling Flowers in the shop, Li Fan's face immediately darkened.

"You scoundrel, do you think I'm an outsider? Are these things worthy of the name Tianling? Why do all these flowers have some eerie blood-colored flow inside? It's really ruining the scenery!"

Li Fan cursed loudly, thunderously, immediately attracting the attention of many cultivators.

"Oh, guest, you might not know. Since a few years ago, all the Tianling Flowers we grow here have been like this!"

The shopkeeper explained with a bitter smile.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 677: Sowing Seeds and Awaiting Blossoms

"Could there really be such a thing? Do you think you can fool me?" Li Fan still wore a disbelieving and stubborn expression.

After the shopkeeper explained repeatedly and the onlookers joined in, he reluctantly accepted it.

"So, does this mean that the stunning Tianling Flower, which once overshadowed the Xuanhuang, has completely disappeared?"

Li Fan felt a bit lost and regretful. "If I had known, I would have come to see its beauty a few years ago!"

"I heard that the Tianling Flower had different petals when it bloomed. After blooming, each petal would display a unique scene—be it blue mountains, a surging river, or a heavenly snowfall. One flower could gather beautiful scenes from all over the world. It was a spiritual treasure, incredibly beautiful..."

Li Fan's narration instantly brought back memories for the cultivators present.

Most of them were local cultivators from Tianlingzhou who had seen the incomparable beauty of the Tianling Flower in its prime. The recounting of memories from Li Fan and the others stirred a wave of sighs and regrets among the crowd.

What one can't obtain will forever remain the most beautiful.

The more they thought about it, the more they felt the regret. The cultivators shook their heads in sorrow.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been stirred up to its limit, Li Fan spoke loudly, "Such a treasure, if you can't witness it with your own eyes, it's truly a great regret in life! The Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance has countless experts. I don't believe they didn't preserve a complete Tianling Flower!"

"I hereby offer a reward. I'm willing to exchange a Longevity Pill that can extend life by three hundred years for an opportunity to see the original Tianling Flower in person!"

Saying this, in front of everyone's eyes, Li Fan took out a pill and placed it in his palm.

The sound spread instantly, and when people saw the pill in Li Fan's hand and felt the palpitations in their hearts, a tumultuous uproar ensued.

A treasure that could extend life by three hundred years was already extremely precious. Yet, this person was willing to use it just for a chance to meet someone!

"Friend, you are indeed a man of character. I admire you! Rest assured, I have a friend who used to specialize in cultivating Tianling Flowers. Maybe there are preserved Tianling Flowers with the appearance of that time."

"I'll ask for you too!"

...

The crowd instantly became lively.

The flower shop owner's eyes also flickered. He picked up a communication talisman and started making contact.

Li Fan stood among the crowd, waiting quietly.

The result was as he expected.

After half a day, many people showed regretful expressions. In the information spread throughout Tianling City, there was indeed no one who still preserved Tianling Flowers in their original appearance.

Li Fan sighed deeply, looking extremely disappointed.

"Unable to fulfill my wish, I can't close my eyes in death!"

"My reward will remain valid for a long time. I would like to trouble everyone to continue inquiring for me!" Li Fan arched his hand toward the crowd and then left with sighs and sighs.

Although this matter seemed inconspicuous, it was still a rare interesting event in the somewhat lonely Tianling City after a big battle.

So, in the casual chatter of the crowd, the news of the "extinction of the original Tianling Flower" gradually became known to more people.

Regardless, there were still quite a few cultivators who had seen or heard about the beauty of the Tianling Flower in the past.

As this interesting event spread widely, more and more cultivators began to have thoughts like, "Ah, it's indeed a pity."

"Such a treasure, and I never had the chance to appreciate it in the past? Once missed, it will never come again!"

More and more cultivators couldn't help but have such thoughts.

And the instigator of all this, Li Fan, watched the discussions about the Tianling Flower increasing in various places through the Tianxuan Mirror with satisfaction.

"Next, I need to let the emotions ferment for a while. It's a good start on the side of ordinary cultivators, and with the addition of the Medicine King Sect disciples, there shouldn't be a big problem."

"However, to truly hype up the value of the Tianling Flower, it depends on the real powers in the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance."

Li Fan's eyes flashed, and he took out the communication talisman that Shuo Feng had left him.

"Brother Shuo, how have you been lately?"

After a brief greeting, Li Fan got straight to the point, "I have a matter and would like to trouble Brother Shuo to inquire about it for me."

"Tianling Flower..."

After delivering his request, Li Fan patiently waited for Shuo Feng's response.

Not long after, Shuo Feng's message arrived, "Tianling Flower, I seem to have heard about it before. It's a small matter; I'll inquire for you."

Li Fan smiled slightly, "In that case, I'll thank Brother Shuo in advance!"

However, there was temporary silence from Shuo Feng's end.

"Next, we just need to wait for the flowers to bloom."

Without hurrying back to Changsheng Valley, Li Fan, in the Tianxuan Mirror, browsed through the various events, big and small, that had occurred in the Xuanhuang Realm in the last two years.

Being familiar with the course of history, Li Fan naturally could trace unusual incidents deliberately hidden in the tiny details.

For example, he was concerned about the information related to the remnants of the Chao Yuan Sect in the Jiushan Prefecture, which suddenly disappeared overnight. It was as if the incident of a cave mansion flying into the sky and attracting cultivators for exploration had never happened. What appeared in the search results was just scattered records about the ancient Chao Yuan Sect.

Similarly, in various places, there were incidents where some cultivators were conscripted and sent to an unknown destination from martial training halls. The vacated positions caused quite a bit of contention and unrest.

...

Li Fan recorded these various clues in his mind.

"I still need to solve the issue of permissions. The information that a White Robe like me can collect is too limited. The restrictions are too severe."

After half a day, Li Fan temporarily stopped.

After some contemplation, he sent a message to Shuo Feng, "Brother Shuo, recently I comprehended a new divine technique. Thinking back to the scenes of our sparring back then, I couldn't help but feel a bit itchy. I wonder if you have time recently for another friendly match?"

Shuo Feng's reply came quickly.

"Oh? What's this, after more than two years, do you have confidence in surpassing me? Let me remind you, I have already broken through to the Golden Core realm. Even if you go all out with your Nascent Soul cultivation, I'm afraid you may not win against me."

"Talking too much is useless; one test will reveal the truth," Li Fan responded straightforwardly.

This statement instantly ignited Shuo Feng's fighting spirit.

"Come here," he sent a direction, indicating where.

Li Fan checked the location: a mountain range on the outskirts of Tianquan City in Tianquan Prefecture.

"Alright, I'll be there soon. Brother Shuo, please wait a moment."

"No problem. I've been here for the past few days." After Shuo Feng's reply, there was no further communication.

Li Fan then left the Tianxuan Mirror, used a teleportation array, and arrived in Tianquan Prefecture.

Tianquan Prefecture was filled with the residences of the high-ranking members of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.

Naturally, Shuo Feng's designated location was among them.

In the sky, Li Fan carefully navigated through protective arrays, avoiding any possible danger, and headed straight for the target location.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 678: Extracting Threads, Eradicating Lives

While flying, Li Fan occasionally felt spiritual awareness from below, sweeping over him. However, seeing Li Fan was just passing by, it quickly withdrew.

In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Li Fan arrived outside the mountain range indicated by Shuo Feng.

The mountains twisted like giant dragons, with sixteen peaks standing tall.

Even through the protective array, the rich spiritual energy in the mountains seemed palpable.

Almost the moment Li Fan arrived, a female cultivator in a light yellow dress flew out from one of the peaks, standing in front of him.

"You must be the guest of Young Master. Please come this way."

The female cultivator was very respectful, leading Li Fan through the protective array and into the mountains.

Li Fan glanced at the female cultivator leading the way; surprisingly, she also had mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, seemingly just a servant here.

However, Li Fan did not feel uncomfortable; instead, he calmly inquired about the situation from the female cultivator.

The yellow-dressed female cultivator didn't show any negligence due to Li Fan's strength. She provided detailed information about this mountain range named Shuo Feng Mountain. It was originally purchased by Fei Xue Immortal Venerable, named after Shuo Feng, as a gift after his successful Foundation Establishment. The mountains were carefully crafted into a cave mansion, forming an array that gathered the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Even without deliberate cultivation, being within it would be influenced by the rich laws, resulting in gradual improvement in cultivation.

Although this cave mansion was extraordinary, after Shuo Feng broke through to the Nascent Soul realm, Fei Xue Immortal Venerable gifted him another mansion in Tianquan City. Consequently, Shuo Feng Mountain gradually fell into disuse, only occasionally visited during leisure.

In no time, Li Fan reached the central peak and saw Shuo Feng in a blue robe, standing in the middle with hands behind his back. Around him, six Nascent Soul late-stage cultivators were launching attacks at him.

Without using the power of his cave, Shuo Feng calmly faced their attacks without blinking. White light danced as the Heaven Sword blocked and reflected all the attacks.

"Boom! Boom!"

Explosions continued, and these six Nascent Soul cultivators, after barely enduring for a dozen breaths, were all injured by their own attacks, falling defeated.

Shuo Feng showed no mercy. Some were heavily injured, and one had his body destroyed, only to be reconstructed with the power of his cave after a while.

"Too weak, bring in another batch," Shuo Feng's tone was somewhat cold, and there was a hint of impatience on his face.

The six Nascent Soul cultivators, leaving with bitter expressions, didn't dare to say much, just arched their hands and retreated together.

"Haha, Brother Shuo, you're truly mighty!" Li Fan suddenly burst into laughter, applauding continuously, showing no hint of submission due to the opponent's momentum.

"Forgive me for entertaining you, Brother Li!" Shuo Feng's cold face revealed a slight smile.

The six Nascent Soul cultivators leaving glanced at Li Fan secretly, not daring to linger, only speculating about Li Fan's identity in their hearts.

"Long time no see, Brother Shuo. Your strength has indeed improved. However, I am not inferior to you!"

"Please enlighten me!"

Without much nonsense, Li Fan's face turned cold, and he pointed his right hand towards Shuo Feng from a distance.

Whoosh...

A gust of wind passed, and Shuo Feng and the others, who had been on high alert for a long time, saw no anomalies around them.

The smile gradually disappeared from Shuo Feng's face, his gaze slightly cold, "Brother Li, are you mocking me?"

Li Fan's expression remained unchanged, smiling slightly, "Just comprehended a divine technique, first time using it, some minor mistakes are normal."

"But it doesn't matter; it should work this time."

"Be careful!"

Li Fan's tone instantly turned ice-cold, retracting his pointing hand, and lightly pointed again.

"Thread Extraction!"

Still, the wind lightly blew, as if nothing had happened. Only Li Fan's emotionless voice echoed on the mountaintop.

Chapter 678: Extracting Threads, Eradicating Lives

Shuo Feng was about to speak when he suddenly sensed something, his expression changing abruptly.

Threads were being extracted from his green robe.

The green threads wandered through the air, as if dissolving in water, and disappeared in an instant.

As Shuo Feng was about to react, he involuntarily grunted.

A bloodstain appeared on his body as if a sharp blade had cut through his skin, revealing the flesh beneath.

In front of Shuo Feng, however, a red thread appeared in the air.

"Threads..."

"Weird..."

Strange voices kept ringing out.

With each sound, a new bloodline appeared in the air. Shuo Feng's body was covered in wounds and blood in an instant.

But in the blink of an eye, Shuo Feng was already covered in wounds, blood streaming.

Shuo Feng felt a chill in his heart because he knew, being aware of his own condition, he realized he wasn't just suffering superficial wounds; his body's composition was being extracted and disappearing!

Like...

A completely woven figure made of threads, with someone slowly pulling the threads out from inside!

Moreover, from beginning to end, his Foundation Establishment artifact, the Heavenly Sword, did not put up any defense or counterattack!

"No wonder it's called 'Thread Extraction'!" Shuo Feng couldn't help but think so.

"If this continues..."

In Shuo Feng's mind, there was an instant image of his body shrinking due to continuous thread extraction, eventually becoming like a worn-out ragdoll, helplessly falling to the ground, awaiting its terrifying fate.

A shiver ran down his spine.

But in the midst of his frantic thoughts, he couldn't find a way to counter this 'Thread Extraction' technique.

And Li Fan, surprisingly, continued pointing at Shuo Feng in the air without any intention of stopping!

"This guy might really kill me!" Looking at Li Fan's deep and unfathomable eyes, Shuo Feng was suddenly alarmed.

"Surrender! I surrender!" Driven by the instinct for survival, Shuo Feng shouted repeatedly.

Hearing Shuo Feng's voice, Li Fan finally retracted his right finger.

"Poof!" In an instant, it seemed like countless connected threads were severed.

Shuo Feng burst into layers of blood mist.

"Young Master!" The yellow-dressed female cultivator was frightened, her face pale, screaming in shock.

"I'm fine!" Shuo Feng waved his hand, stopping the female cultivator from approaching.

"Admirable!" Li Fan arched his hand, his expression calm.

Shuo Feng's eyes were somewhat complicated as he looked at Li Fan.

"Good divine technique, Daoist Friend!"

He couldn't help but sincerely admit.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 679: The Xuan Clan's Guest Official

"It's just a trick. Brother Shuo, your Foundation Establishment artifact, the Heavenly Sword, is not good at initiating attacks, but its defensive counterattack is unparalleled. However, this 'Thread Extraction' technique mimics the changes in life, aging, sickness, and death. It's more like applying a state than an attack. That's why it didn't trigger the counterattack of the 'Sword,'" Li Fan explained to Shuo Feng after winning the match, without a trace of arrogance on his face.

In the root of the world where the Five Elements Cave Heaven was conceived, Li Fan had experiences of his own body being woven with fine threads and continuously extracted. At that time, he had some insights.

However, it was still far from directly using divine techniques in the real world. It wasn't until he took control of the heavenly luck of the beast realm, advancing to the mid-Yuan Ying stage, that Li Fan became almost like a existence akin to the heavenly laws of a small world.

The life and death of all things in the world are just a thought away.

Li Fan now had a completely new and unique understanding of the composition and collapse of things.

Thus, he developed this divine technique, "Thread Extraction."

As he said to Shuo Feng, strictly speaking, "Thread Extraction" wasn't considered an attacking divine technique. Instead, it attached an accelerating trend of disintegration to the target. This belonged to the changes within the target itself.

Just like how mortals undergo the cycles of life, aging, sickness, and death, all things in the world will ultimately come to an end and dissipate between heaven and earth. "Thread Extraction" simply accelerated this process.

In the battle with Shuo Feng, the manifestation of "Thread Extraction" was the result of Li Fan's full efforts. While its power was terrifying, it had a fatal weakness. The process of casting "Thread Extraction" required continuous casting. Once disturbed or interrupted from the outside, the effect would be greatly reduced.

It was only effective against peculiar opponents like Shuo Feng, who relied on main defense and counterattacks.

Therefore, the best use of "Thread Extraction" was not as rapid and explosive as in the battle with Shuo Feng. Instead, it was silently and gradually extracting the "lines" from the target in a situation where the target was unaware.

By elongating the time scale, the target wouldn't exhibit obvious wounds like Shuo Feng. Instead, they would feel inexplicable weakness and discomfort throughout their body. But they could never find the reason, ultimately watching their essence, energy, and spirit gradually decay, suffering and dying.

The saying "life slips away like pulled threads" was exactly that.

It was truly an excellent method of secretly harming others. Even compared to the insidiousness of the no-kill technique, it had its advantages. Li Fan always had the habit of keeping something in reserve, so in this battle with Shuo Feng, he concealed the true killing form of "Thread Extraction."

"Brother Li, you once praised me as a genius, but your comprehension is even better than mine. This 'Thread Extraction' move is truly extraordinary!" Defeated by Li Fan, Shuo Feng was not angry but rather became more enthusiastic.

The ice-cold killing intent that flashed by earlier seemed as if it had never appeared.

"Brother Shuo, you overpraise me. It's just a fortuitous acquisition during my travels," Li Fan replied with a slight smile.

"Brother Li, no need to be modest! Within the Immortal Alliance, countless self-proclaimed geniuses exist, but those who can comprehend such divine techniques on their own, like you, are few and far between!" Shuo Feng patted himself on the body, and in an instant, a white light flashed, and he changed into a different set of clothes.

Leading the way in front, Shuo Feng took Li Fan to a small building on the mountaintop and invited him to sit down.

The yellow-dressed female cultivator left for a while and later brought two bowls of spirit tea.

The fragrance of tea permeated the air, invigorating the spirit.

Shuo Feng said, "Brother Li, I haven't thought of a way to crack this divine technique for now. When I have inspiration later, I will definitely come to seek guidance from you!"

Li Fan nodded slightly, "I'll be waiting then."

Shuo Feng laughed heartily, "Refreshing! Brother Li's temperament is truly to my liking! Much stronger than those who are all talk and no action, with no abilities but eager to curry favor!"

Li Fan didn't respond but shifted the topic, "Speaking of currying favor, I do have another matter to trouble Brother Shuo."

"Oh? What is it? Feel free to say."

Li Fan expressed his desire to elevate his merit level.

"The insufficient permission level is truly irritating, restricted everywhere, making it quite uncomfortable!" Li Fan sighed.

Shuo Feng, dismissive, said, "Humph, it's just a threshold set by the Immortal Alliance to consolidate its rule. For those true wielders of power, there's no need to climb up step by step and elevate permission levels..."

Chapter 679: Appointment as the Xuan Clan's Guest Official

"Since Brother Li has this request, it's easy to handle. Zhi Jin..." The yellow-dressed female cultivator responded promptly.

"Is there a guest official position available recently?" Shuo Feng asked.

"There are still three vacancies this year. However..." Zhi Jin glanced at Li Fan, hesitated, and stopped.

"It's because the cultivation level doesn't meet the requirements, right?" Shuo Feng smiled, "It's okay. We'll make an exception. Just say I designated it. You can go inform them."

Zhi Jin nodded slightly, her figure blurred, and she disappeared instantly.

Only then did Shuo Feng explain, "Serving as a guest official in my family will come with the basic level thirty permissions. There will also be fixed merits distributed every year."

Li Fan, however, did not show joy upon hearing this. Instead, he frowned and said, "Thanks to Brother Shuo. However, I am used to being free. If..."

Shuo Feng waved his hand, "It's okay. You don't need to do anything. Just hold a nominal position. You and I share the same ideals. Are we the kind of people willing to be bound by such things?"

"But..." Shuo Feng looked at Li Fan, a hint of battle intent flashing in his eyes, "If one day you're itching for a fight and want to spar, you can't intentionally refuse!"

Li Fan felt relieved and immediately clasped his hands, "Thank you, Brother Shuo!"

Shuo Feng, being one of the top second-generation immortals in the Immortal Alliance, was extremely efficient.

Before finishing the tea on the table, Zhi Jin had already returned.

When a snowflake-shaped jade talisman was handed to Li Fan, it indicated that Li Fan's appointment as a guest official had been recorded.

"Brother Li can check the effects." Shuo Feng lightly tapped the table, and a small mirror appeared in front of Li Fan.

While checking his information in the Tianxuan Mirror, Li Fan indeed found that he now had the title of "Xuan Clan Guest Official."

As Shuo Feng had said, the permission level had directly increased to level thirty.

However, there was a note stating that this permission level was associated with the position of "guest official." Once he lost the title of "guest official," the permission level would also disappear.

Personal merits would accumulate from the first rank onward.

The two were independent of each other.

This was within Li Fan's expectations, but what he cared more about were the four words "Xuan Clan Guest Official."

"Xuan Clan?" Li Fan looked at Shuo Feng with some confusion.

Shuo Feng didn't avoid the question and said openly, "My mother's surname is Xuan. As for my name..."

He shrugged, looking as if he didn't know himself.

Li Fan nodded without pressing further.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 680: Farewell to Lu Xuejing

"Speaking of which, I had only heard the name of your honorable father, Fei Xue, by chance before. He possesses profound strength, excels in refining, and is highly respected. I didn't know that your Xuan family had such influence in the Wanxian Alliance."

"Even as a nameless wandering cultivator like me, I understand that meritorious service in the Immortal Alliance is not easy to come by. Many cultivators work diligently, risking their lives, and in the end, they may only achieve the rank of Yan 20. However, as long as you, Brother Shuo, agree, I can immediately obtain the privileges of Yan 30..."

"On that day, meeting Brother Shuo by chance was truly the fortune of my three lifetimes!" Another cup of spirit tea went down, and Li Fan expressed some emotions.

"Hahaha, I never expected that the Sword would inexplicably go out of control and actually lead me to meet such a remarkable person as Brother Li. In the Nascent Soul realm, there are very few who can defeat me with their divine abilities. The entire Wanxian Alliance wouldn't find more than a few!" Shuo Feng's evaluation of Li Fan was extremely high, and he didn't look down on him just because he was in the early stage of Nascent Soul.

"You and I are truly destined..." Shuo Feng was in a good mood, letting Zhi Jin serve some rare delicacies.

The two enjoyed the fragrant spirit wine and halfway through their meal.

Suddenly, there was a faint sound coming from outside.

"Brother Shuo! Brother Shuo!"

A displeased expression flashed across Shuo Feng's face, and his smile disappeared instantly.

Before he could speak, a white figure had already flown into the central hall.

The newcomer was dressed in a white dress, had a slender figure, and her skin was as smooth as white jade.

"Brother Shuo, you're back. Why didn't you tell me?" She puffed her cheeks, seemingly a bit angry. However, her eyes were full of admiration as she looked at Shuo Feng.

"I just got back not long ago," Shuo Feng explained somewhat impatiently.

"Okay." The girl said gloomily.

She turned her gaze to Li Fan on the side and blinked her big eyes. "Brother Shuo, who is this? Why haven't I seen him before?"

Shuo Feng casually said, "This is my new friend, Li Fan."

"This name, seems like I've heard it somewhere..." The girl tilted her head, carefully scrutinizing Li Fan.

Li Fan only cast a fleeting glance at the girl, but his heart stirred.

Although the girl didn't recognize Li Fan, he was very familiar with her. She was the daughter of the chief formation master of the Strategy Hall in the previous life, Lu Xuejing!

"As second-generation members of the Immortal Alliance, it's reasonable for them to know each other. However, it's unexpected that Lu Xuejing, with her noble identity, capricious nature, and a group of admired young talents around her, would show such a side in front of Shuo Feng."

Li Fan just glanced at Lu Xuejing and quickly looked away. He turned to Shuo Feng, asking with a feigned ignorance, "Brother Shuo, about this..."

"Her surname is Lu, and her name is Lu Xuejing." Only the name was introduced, and her mother's identity was not mentioned.

The meaning was clear, so Li Fan didn't ask further.

"Now that there's a beauty visiting, I won't disturb Brother Shuo." Li Fan cupped his hands and prepared to take his leave.

"As for the matter of the Heavenly Spirit Flower, please ask Brother Shuo to inquire for me again." Before leaving, Li Fan casually reminded.

However, this sentence unexpectedly angered Lu Xuejing.

"What, did you ask Brother Shuo to inquire about the Heavenly Spirit Flower?" She stared at Li Fan fiercely. "How could he lie to me, saying that he wanted it himself? I even wasted so much effort, having those guys help me find it."

Li Fan, upon hearing this, couldn't help but look at Shuo Feng.

"How did he deceive you? Brother Li's matter is my concern," Shuo Feng, although a bit embarrassed, looked at Lu Xuejing's wronged face and felt a bit of a headache. He explained repeatedly.

However, Lu Xuejing just looked sullen, refusing to listen.

Rather than directing her grievances at Shuo Feng, she seemed to dislike Li Fan even more.

"Who are you? You look very unfamiliar! Could it be that you deliberately approached Brother Shuo as a spy for the Five Elders' espionage, wanting to investigate the location of the Tianxuan Mirror? You don't seem like a good person at all. Brother Shuo has never lied to me before..." 

"Lu Xuejing, you're talking nonsense!" Seeing her speak without restraint, Shuo Feng's expression changed slightly, immediately rebuking her.

Caught in the inexplicable twists and turns of Lu Xuejing's thoughts, Li Fan didn't feel much anger. Instead, upon hearing her words, his gaze subtly focused.

"Xuan Family, does it really have some connection with the Tianxuan Mirror?"

"Brother Li, I'm really sorry. Let's end it here today. I'll invite you to my house another day." Shuo Feng apologized sincerely.

While Zhi Jin was seeing the guest off, he also consoled the tearful Lu Xuejing, who was somewhat vexed.

After giving the two a deep glance, Li Fan left the cave.

"Brother Shuo, you must believe me. That Li Fan just now is really not a good person. His gaze is really uncomfortable. You should have less contact with him in the future." After Shuo Feng comforted her with kind words, Lu Xuejing's emotions finally calmed down.

She spoke earnestly again.

Compared to the one-sided words of others, Shuo Feng obviously believed more in his own feelings.

"Well, okay, I understand." He replied casually, completely not taking Lu Xuejing's words seriously.

——

"Fei Xue Immortal Ancestor, skilled in refining. Has a son, unknown father."

"Lu Xuechan, Chief of the Strategy Hall. In the past, she was the leader of the Tianxuan Locking Spirit. Has a daughter, also unknown father."

"The two may have been close friends."

"Both are connected to the Tianxuan Mirror..."

On the way back to Changsheng Valley, Li Fan, with limited information, subtly obtained some clues.

"Interesting. I don't know if there's a chance in this life to let the fisherman take action again. However, the technique of stealing the day and swapping the sun seems to be lost in the Yunshui Tiangong. Even if Lu Xuejing is caught, I don't know what can be used to exchange her out." Li Fan contemplated to himself.

Returning to Changsheng Valley, he found that Fang Zaiji had disappeared and didn't know where he went. He had started to forge the protective magic weapon needed for Xu Bai.

Liu San was also busy overseeing the integration of the divine senses of the Medicine King Sect disciples into the Great Dream Spring and Autumn Formation.

"In half a year, everything will be ready, and the clone can leave the valley."

"Before that, the main body will continue to hibernate."

Entering the closed-door secret room, the restrictions on entering the Meteor Immortal realm had been lifted.

"Fu Sheng, Xuan Huang Tianzun!"

Li Fan performed the ritual and once again entered the distorted transparent space.

In front of him, three different scenes flickered.

The latest addition, the "Sword Refinement of the Tianjian Sect," had been unlocked and could be entered.

Without hesitation, Li Fan concentrated his divine sense. The next moment, after a brief dizziness, he entered the Meteor Immortal realm.

Before he could clarify the information of the person he possessed this time, he heard excited and angry voices in his ears.

"Hurry up, there's something interesting to watch! A newly admitted outer disciple is shamelessly challenging Senior Brother!"

"What a joke. Senior Brother's cultivation is at such a high level. Can any outer disciple withstand his attack?"

(This chapter is complete)