Chapter 811-815: The Stratagem of the Spirit Wood (6k+ words)
"Spirit Wood Realm."
Li Fan and Tianyang stood in the sky, their divine senses sweeping over this small world.
They couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of creation.
This is a small world without cultivators or humans, only tree people born from the spirit wood reside here.
In fact, according to the information released by the Immortal Alliance after the ban was lifted in the 115th era, the Spirit Wood Realm was an extremely desolate small world without any living beings thousands of years ago.
However, with the birth of a spirit tree, it took root and sprouted, gradually bringing vitality to the small world.
Li Fan looked at the towering thousand-zhang giant tree not far away, as well as the tree people living and settling on it, a hint of regret flashed in his eyes.
"It's a pity that this tree is already bound to this small world and cannot be transplanted. Otherwise, by just cutting its branches and planting them in other small worlds, we could permanently solve the problem of spiritual energy deficiency."
It seemed that Li Fan's blatant and undisguised malice attracted the attention of the giant tree.
The thousand-zhang giant tree moved without any wind. As the branches swayed, tens of thousands of tree people, like locusts, flew towards Li Fan.
Li Fan snorted coldly, "They're just asking for death!"
"Tianyang!"
Hearing his senior brother's call, Tianyang, who was listless, heard the summons but didn't understand the meaning, looking at him with some confusion.
Li Fan's face twitched. He pointed to the army of tree people attacking in front.
Only then did Tianyang react.
With a roar, Tianyang's body instantly expanded to the size of the spirit tree. Black flames emitted from his body, instantly turning any tree person daring to approach into ashes.
"Be gentle; don't harm our little saplings!"
Li Fan hastily transmitted his voice.
This battle could be said to have almost no suspense.
Most of the tree people in the Spirit Wood Realm were only equivalent to Qi Refinement cultivation, with Foundation Establishment tree people being extremely rare. A Golden Core tree person was already considered an elder among the tree people.
The strongest among them was the tree people clan leader, who could communicate with the spirit tree's consciousness. In this realm, it was almost invincible. However, it was still just at the Yuan Ying stage and had no resistance against Tianyang, who was in the Nascent Divinity later stage.
After damaging almost half of the tree people, they could only surrender.
The tree people clan leader had a delicate appearance, significantly different from the rough appearance of other tree people.
"Immortal, please spare us!"
Surprisingly, it had a somewhat pitiful tone and turned out to be a female voice.
Li Fan, however, remained unmoved. "Submit or die!"
The tree people clan leader bowed, "We surrender."
"Hand over the Heart of the Spirit Wood, and your tribe will be safe. Don't make me take action, or else, this realm will turn into a scorched earth again," Li Fan said coldly.
The tree people clan leader's body trembled slightly.
She didn't understand why this cultivator, who clearly came here for the first time, already knew about the existence of the "Heart of the Spirit Wood."
But now that things had come to this point, she had no choice.
She opened her mouth and spit out a green light, flying slowly into Li Fan's hand.
Instantly refining it, Li Fan vaguely felt that the spirit tree in this world had become a part of his body.
And the life and death of the tree people born from the spirit tree were also in his hands.
The Spirit Wood Realm was now entirely owned by Li Fan.
Cross-level power suppression was something the tree people couldn't resist.
At this moment, Li Fan had arrived at the center of the spirit tree.
There was a huge cavity here.
Countless roots from various parts of the Spirit Wood Realm gathered here.
The countless branches and roots of the Spirit Wood were all derived from this place.
Branches and roots were like the Spirit Wood's tentacles and eyes, allowing it to sense anything happening in this small world.
However, due to the change in ownership of the Heart of the Spirit Wood, these effects had all been transferred to Li Fan.
Using the Spirit Tree, he sensed every detail of the small world.
A familiar feeling surged into Li Fan's heart.
"Similar to Little Black occupying the Beast Realm's Heavenly Dao, it follows the same path. However, this world can recover vitality, and the Spirit Tree deserves some credit. So, it's simpler compared to before."
"Perfect time to try the Divine Ability, Heaven's Change."
Li Fan thought, and with that, mountains, rivers, and streams suddenly appeared on the land of the Spirit Wood Realm.
Li Fan manipulated the world according to his will, just like what Mr. Bai did in his own cave.
However, just after half a day had passed, Li Fan's world-altering behavior was forcibly stopped.
It turned out that the power of the Spirit Tree itself couldn't withstand such extravagance from Li Fan and needed some rest and adjustment.
"Boring."
Li Fan shook his head slightly, his figure flickering as he arrived at the top of the Spirit Tree.
Looking down at the land of the Spirit Wood Realm, a grand and massive array appeared before his eyes.
Perfectly integrated with the world, it had no flaws, and this array changed and progressed every moment.
"Infinite Law."
Li Fan squinted his eyes.
In the blink of an eye, relying on the immense computing power of the Terminal Disintegration Disc, he instantly designed a large array tailored for the Spirit Wood Realm in his mind.
The core idea came from Zhang Zhiliang, the number one array master in the Congyun Sea, and his Infinite Law.
With the existence of the Terminal Disintegration Disc, the incomplete Infinite Law Li Fan envisioned was finally completed.
It was an ever-evolving array without limits, a nightmare for all array masters.
"If the great array is completed, all conventional methods of breaking the array will be useless. Only brute force can solve it. With the scale of the Infinite Law array covering the Spirit Wood Realm, it's impossible without five or six Dao Fusion experts."
"If some treasures from heaven and earth are used to enhance the array, and Dao Fusion experts are deployed at key points, breaking it would be impossible without the personal arrival of the Lifelong Heavenly Venerable."
In Li Fan's eyes, the imaginary array patterns slowly disappeared.
"As the protective array for the headquarters of the Universal Alliance, it has quite a presence. Now, what's lacking is the resources needed to build the array."
Li Fan immediately thought of the Five Elders.
At this time, the Five Elders still had various intentions towards the Immortal Alliance, and Li Fan had a lot of information that interested them, which could be used for mutual exchange.
The only thing to consider was who to contact this time.
Zhou Qing'ang, who had just come online, or Tian Liangwang.
Or...
Various figures flashed through Li Fan's mind.
These originally absolute secrets had all turned into chips that could be traded in Li Fan's eyes.
Gradually, Li Fan had some ideas.
Although the Five Elders had experienced many cycles, their performance in the previous cycles was somewhat disappointing.
"Let me fully assist you."
"See how deep the foundation of the Immortal Alliance truly is."
Li Fan's gaze was deep.
This time, he would sit back and watch the tigers fight!
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 812: Refining Spiritual Essence for All Living Beings
In the Spirit Wood Realm, the puppet of Tianyang, surrounded by flames, suddenly descended from the sky and burrowed into the ground, creating a deep passage with continuous rumbling. Countless tree people flew into it, following Li Fan's command to unearth the hidden resources underground.
If one looked from the top of the Spirit Tree towards the surroundings, similar scenes were happening all over the Spirit Wood Realm.
"Master, it took the Spirit Tree over four thousand years to slightly restore vitality here. The world's ecology is still very fragile. If destructive excavation like this continues..." The tree person clan leader expressed concerns.
Li Fan smiled faintly, "Your perspective is too narrow. Resources left unused and buried underground are no different from ordinary stones. Only by utilizing everything and developing quickly can we follow the right path."
"It's essential to become powerful enough to plunder and nourish oneself from other worlds before resources deplete and the world declines."
Limited to a single realm, staying in one's comfort zone. Even if one manages to survive for a while, they will eventually be swallowed by other worlds.
The tree person clan leader seemed to hear this theory for the first time, and she was stunned, "Is... is that so?"
Li Fan didn't answer but revealed a profound and mysterious expression.
Watching countless tree people working diligently, an idea suddenly occurred to Li Fan, "If I help these tree people and enhance their overall strength, I wonder if it will have any feedback on my Reverse Immortal Technique."
Tree people cannot cultivate; their strength is fixed from birth. Their strength also depends on the strength of the Spirit Tree itself. The stronger the Spirit Tree, the stronger the tree people it gives birth to.
Creatures like these, if handled properly, can grow much faster than cultivators.
At least Li Fan knew of more than ten kinds of rare treasures that could nourish the Spirit Tree.
...
Sharing the overall vision of the Spirit Tree, Li Fan knew exactly where valuable resources were hidden in this world.
Following Li Fan's instructions, Tianyang, like an eel, dug a tunnel that took several days to complete. After instructing the tree person clan leader to supervise the mining work, Li Fan took Tianyang and temporarily returned to the Xuanhuang Realm.
On the way out, he didn't forget to visit the remnants of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect.
He plundered all the treasures, including the Heavenly Dice.
"Now, with no existence like the Universal Alliance, if I suddenly go knocking on the door to gain the trust of the Five Elders, it will probably require as much effort as in the previous cycles."
"It's better to find a way first to make the Universal Alliance famous..."
"Anchor for five years."
Li Fan quickly recalled various events that happened in that year, and soon he found a suitable target.
Not long after, the Five Elders would launch an attack on the Jiushan Prefecture, attempting to seize this territory.
However, for some reason, the news leaked, and the ambush set by the Immortal Alliance ended up trapping the Five Elders, resulting in a disastrous defeat.
This event became a classic case for the Immortal Alliance and was repeatedly mentioned.
Therefore, Li Fan was well aware of the details of the incident.
As a bordering area between the Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders, Jiushan Prefecture was formed after the death of the exotic beast "Tuan," and the spatial instability made it impossible to use teleportation arrays within the territory.
The management cost was too high, so the Immortal Alliance only built cities to guard key locations in the Jiushan Mountain Pass. Most other places were left unattended.
This gave rise to a unique phenomenon rarely seen in other prefectures: a mix of various forces.
Apart from the Immortal Alliance, there were many local forces led by the Lingyuan Sect, as well as many undercover agents trained by the Five Elders.
Jiushan Prefecture was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Regardless of which side occupied it, they would have a strategic advantage.
The Five Elders had always wanted to incorporate it into their territory but were frustrated because they couldn't find a way.
The reason they launched another attack shortly afterward was because they believed they had successfully subverted the Lingyuan Sect.
As the largest local force in Jiushan Prefecture, the Lingyuan Sect, although under the rule of the Immortal Alliance, was relatively independent. With many Yuan Infant and Nascent Soul cultivators, as well as a highly united congregation, it was a force to be reckoned with.
If they could be turned, with internal and external collaboration, it was indeed possible to take control of Jiushan Prefecture.
Because of this, after several contacts with the Lingyuan Sect, where the Five Elders confirmed that they would lend a helping hand, they launched the attack.
Chapter 813: Mysterious Lingyuan Sect
However, the news somehow leaked, and the Immortal Alliance's reinforcements arrived rapidly, as if they had predicted it in advance. Seeing that the situation was dire, the Lingyuan Sect immediately betrayed their alliance and counterattacked the Five Elders.
This battle made the Five Elders completely abandon their plans to attack from the direction of Jiushan Prefecture, shifting their strategic focus to the Tianling Prefecture.
"Lingyuan Sect..." Li Fan quickly contemplated the cause and effect of the situation, recalling the peculiar organization with a slight frown.
Although the Lingyuan Sect was like ants in the overall context of the Xuanhuang Realm, it was by no means negligible in Jiushan Prefecture.
Considering the Immortal Alliance's style of operation, it was surprising that they tolerated the existence of such an independent organization under their rule.
Apart from the peculiar topography of Jiushan Prefecture, there was also a connection to the Lingyuan Sect's "Cangsheng Lingyuan Technique."
"Cangsheng Lingyuan Technique. The more people practicing it simultaneously, the faster the cultivation speed. It's enough to offset the negative effects brought by incompatible techniques."
Li Fan had a rough understanding of this technique before. However, he had no interest in practicing a technique that seemed suspicious from the beginning.
"The leader of the Lingyuan Sect has never appeared in any public setting, maintaining an extremely mysterious identity."
"Even if the Lingyuan Sect is annihilated, it tends to resurface quickly due to the characteristics of their technique."
"Besides the 'Cangsheng Lingyuan Technique,' it seems that there are other secret arts within the sect. These can not only resolve the mutual killing intent caused by practicing similar techniques but also reuse the Immortal's Caves, as seen with Shen Yurou's 'Peach Blossom Immortal Cave' appearing on past cultivators."
"There must be some special restrictions. Otherwise, even if he can hide well, he is bound to be discovered."
Li Fan contemplated everything about the Lingyuan Sect slowly.
"However, I don't need to conflict with them on this journey."
"I just need to help the Five Elders and take control of Jiushan Prefecture."
Thinking so, Li Fan stood on the puppet of Tianyang, rushing towards Jiushan Prefecture.
After entering the Jiushan territory, he deployed a formation to conceal his aura.
He lurked near Tianlao Mountain.
"The Five Elders probably wouldn't think that their defeat was due to a spy leaking information."
"It was just a coincidence."
Thinking like this, Li Fan soon saw a young man in white clothes slowly appearing on the horizon.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 813: Divine Twin Gourd Bestowed by the Heavens
"Jiushan soars, cultivators sigh at the sky. Truly a rare and magnificent sight!"
"These majestic mountain ranges, if there were just one in an ordinary region, it would be enough to become famous throughout the world. Yet here, there are a full nine!"
A young man in white clothes walked slowly to the foot of Tianlao Mountain, repeatedly exclaiming in admiration.
The young man had fair and handsome features, but his eyes occasionally revealed a determination uncommon for someone of his age.
Around his neck hung a long rope woven from green vines.
The green rope held a green gourd at the top.
The young man shook the gourd, then pulled out the stopper, aiming the opening at the towering Tianlao Mountain ahead.
After making slight adjustments, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Collect!"
With a light shout, a phantom image seemed to gather from the distant Tianlao Mountain and was drawn into the green gourd.
The young man leaned in and sniffed at the gourd's opening.
"Indeed, it's a magnificent scene!"
His face was full of delight.
However, in the next moment, his expression suddenly froze, and his body became immobile.
A figure slowly appeared behind him, extending a hand to take the green gourd from him.
"The Heavenly Scenery Divine Gourd, this thing is indeed good." The person chuckled strangely.
A hint of fear flashed in the young man's eyes.
Li Fan commanded Tianyang to hold the young man, while he himself put away the divine gourd.
"Shang Tiangi, a member of the Immortal Alliance's 'Shanhe Pavilion.' Formed a Nascent Soul at eighteen, a truly exceptional talent."
"He possesses the unique item 'Heavenly Scenery Divine Gourd,' which captures scenes of mountains and rivers. It creates almost identical, slightly reduced copies within the gourd."
"With a single thought, he can traverse the locations recorded in the Heavenly Scenery Divine Gourd. If not for my ability to control insects, even if he reached the Nascent Soul realm, he might not have been caught so easily."
Li Fan glanced into the Heavenly Scenery Divine Gourd with his divine sense, seeing a misty landscape with distinctive mountains and waters scattered throughout. Some of them were familiar to Li Fan, such as Taihua's Ten Veins and Tianling's Thousand Waters.
"And the recently captured Tianlao Mountain is also in it!"
"Just entering the Golden Core stage and daring to venture alone into the chaotic Jiushan Prefecture. Truly fearless for a newcomer."
"But if it weren't for me, what's about to happen next would indeed be in line with the protagonist's script."
"During his travels, he coincidentally encountered the Five Elders attacking."
"With an inside collaborator in the Lingyuan Sect and Five Elders already dispatching a large army to block Jiushan Prefecture, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving, and even blocking communications, ordinary methods couldn't transmit the news. They only hoped to delay as much time as possible. Speed is crucial in warfare, and before the Immortal Alliance reacted, Jiushan Prefecture could be captured in one fell swoop."
"Who would have expected bad luck to encounter an abnormality like Shang Tiangi, who could instantly transfer within the space-locked Jiushan Prefecture using his associated item."
"As a result, the news leaked, and the plan failed."
Li Fan pondered, recalling the official statement from the Immortal Alliance about this matter in the previous life.
"However, it cannot be guaranteed that this is the entire truth of the matter."
"I need to observe more."
"As for this kid..."
Li Fan turned his head and glanced at the motionless Shang Tiangi.
Tianyang gestured, slapping him unconscious. Then, Li Fan flicked his finger, and a drop of red light containing his essence blood flew into Shang Tiangi's body.
It was the "Bloodline Transference" technique that could influence the mind.
"The Immortal Alliance can't rely on just me alone. With such talent, using him as a front is quite appropriate."
Standing on Tianyang, Li Fan flew to the top of Tianlao Mountain.
He casually laid down a formation around him to conceal his aura and then looked into the distance, waiting for the arrival of the Five Elders' army.
"It should be soon."
While waiting, Li Fan began to study the Heavenly Scenery Divine Gourd he had just obtained.
Although it was Shang Tiangi's associated item, for some reason, he hadn't used it to build his foundation. Instead, he treated it like an ordinary treasure, carrying it with him.
Chapter 813: Gift from the Heavens - Twin Gourds
Li Fan's divine sense entered the green gourd, attempting to connect with the scenes of mountains and waters inside. He wanted to see if he could freely shuttle through these scenes, similar to Shang Tiangi.
However, these scenes completely ignored Li Fan, showing no response.
"Unable to refine with spiritual energy. Even Nascent Soul can't sense or absorb them..."
"It seems to be this guy's exclusive treasure."
After a fruitless attempt, Li Fan shook his head and gave up.
"These treasures aren't used for foundation building. Then, what could be his foundational treasure?"
Li Fan approached the unconscious Shang Tiangi and examined him carefully.
"Hmm?" After a moment, Li Fan's eyes revealed a hint of surprise.
On the surface of Shang Tiangi's golden core, there was an engraved pattern of a purple-golden gourd.
It looked exactly like the Heavenly Scenery Divine Gourd, only with a more profound and luxurious aura.
"The Twin Gourds? Interesting."
Li Fan's gaze flickered.
However, he didn't have the immediate intention to snatch it.
Firstly, Shang Tiangi might still be useful.
Secondly, associated items like this were probably exclusive to individuals, making them impossible to snatch.
"Perhaps someone like Mr. Bai, a Heavenly Dao incarnation, could borrow it without any hindrance. But for me, it's not possible."
Although the treasure was right in front of him, Li Fan didn't feel rushed.
He squinted his eyes, silently feeling the progress of the bloodline transfer within Shang Tiangi.
When Shang Tiangi slowly woke up, looking at the mysterious person who had captured him, the fear in his heart had disappeared. Instead, a sense of closeness and trust had emerged.
"Young man, what do you think of the Immortal Alliance?" Li Fan asked with a strange tone.
"Huh?" Shang Tiangi was slightly stunned. He didn't expect the other party to ask such a random question.
He subconsciously replied, "The Immortal Alliance is great! Everyone has the opportunity to cultivate, and there's no need to worry about life and safety..."
Li Fan coldly snorted and interrupted him, "Great? Can't you see how many cultivators are toiling away for half their lives just for a cultivation technique? And this alliance, instead of keeping the techniques intact, disassembles them for sale. You need to exchange them again when progressing from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation. The same goes for Nascent Soul and Divine Transformation!"
"They treat us cultivators like beasts of burden!"
Shang Tiangi was about to retort, but Li Fan pointed at his forehead.
In an instant, countless scenes of lower-level cultivators working hard for a bit of contribution appeared in his mind.
As a genius, Shang Tiangi naturally didn't know how difficult it was for ordinary cultivators with average aptitude to progress step by step from mortal to Qi refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core...
Many people even spent their entire lives trapped in easily breakable realms, unable to make any progress.
Experiencing this for the first time, Shang Tiangi's mind was severely impacted, and he was deeply shocked.
Li Fan continued to influence him with his words.
Gradually, Shang Tiangi's eyes began to change.
Chapter 814: The Fall of Nine Mountain Province
The teenage boy, in his early teens, was full of vitality, making him easily swayed at his age.
Moreover, Shang Tiangi had fallen under Li Fan's **Bloodline Transference** technique, making him highly trusting of Li Fan.
Who was Li Fan? Even as an ordinary person, he could effortlessly deceive several people into willingly serving him.
So, with little effort, Shang Tiangi was successfully brainwashed by Li Fan.
"The Immortal Alliance is corrupt and decayed. As cultivators, it is our duty to overthrow it."
"Then, the era of freedom for cultivation techniques will truly arrive!"
Shang Tiangi felt his blood boil, experiencing an unprecedented sense of supreme mission.
As for what to do after overthrowing the Immortal Alliance and whether they could truly achieve freedom for cultivator techniques, he didn't consider these matters.
"The Immortal Alliance is powerful, and our strength is still weak. We need to plan carefully."
"The first thing to do is to unite all the forces we can, such as the independent realms and worlds in the Xuan Huang Realm..."
"Universal Alliance, what a fantastic idea!" Shang Tiangi's eyes lit up. "Impressive!"
Li Fan continued to instill various ideas into him.
However, this process was suddenly interrupted by an inexplicable oppressive atmosphere.
Both of them looked towards the distance simultaneously.
Tianlao Mountain, the tallest mountain range in Nine Mountains.
Therefore, their line of sight could penetrate through half of the province, seeing a dense crowd of cultivators suddenly emerging on the border.
"What is that?" Shang Tiangi's expression was astonished.
The attire of those cultivators was different from the Immortal Alliance, clearly belonging to another major force in Xuan Huang, the Five Elders' Association.
"Not good, foreign invaders. I need to..."
Shang Tiangi was about to use the Heavenly Scenery Divine Gourd to transfer, but after searching around, he realized his gourd was still in Li Fan's hands.
"Elder!"
He was about to say something when Li Fan pressed him down with one hand.
"The Immortal Alliance is corrupt. The Five Elders' Association isn't anything good either."
"The five Elders violate the principles of heaven and earth, playing with the lives of the residents within the realm."
"The fiercer they fight each other, the more advantageous it is for us."
"Let's watch the show while sitting on the mountain!" Li Fan's words were extremely sinister.
Initially, Shang Tiangi's face showed some hesitation.
However, after careful consideration, he finally fell silent.
When the cultivators of the Five Elders' Association appeared on the land of Nine Mountains, chaos suddenly erupted everywhere.
Many cultivators wearing the Immortal Alliance's attire rose in rebellion, attacking the Nine Mountain Town.
And as time passed, the number of rioting cultivators seemed to increase.
"You see, the Immortal Alliance has lost the people's hearts. As long as someone raises the banner and shouts, there will be countless responders immediately!" Li Fan took advantage of the situation to say.
Seeing this scene, Shang Tiangi nodded slowly.
In reality, the Five Elders' Association wasn't entirely useless.
At least, this sudden assault demonstrated their organizational ability.
However, in just half a day, the vast Nine Mountain Province had already fallen into chaos.
The Five Elders' Association's army rapidly advanced, taking control of most of the Nine Mountain Towns while continuing their march towards the last mountain, Tianchang Mountain.
The battlefield was chaotic.
Li Fan and Shang Tiangi had been hiding on the top of Tianlao Mountain the entire time, not discovered by others for a short period.
As the most important city in Nine Mountains, Tianchang City not only had a Dao Fusion cultivator stationed there but also the presence of the Ten Thousand Laws Trading Company.
If the Ten Thousand Laws Trading Company lent a hand to help defend, it might not be impossible to hold out until the Immortal Alliance reinforcements arrived.
However, it was apparent that the Ten Thousand Laws Trading Company was only an onlooker.
Throughout the entire process, none of their personnel came out to fight.
And Tianchang Dao Fusion, facing the three Dao Fusion experts sent by the Five Elders' Association, was already struggling.
"Looks like the Immortal Alliance's defeat is certain. It's time for us to leave," Li Fan, who had been watching the spectacle for a while, suddenly stood up.
"However, before we go, let's leave something behind to prove we were here."
"Sunshine!"
Li Fan tossed a jade slip over to him.
Following the command, Sun Yanzheng caught the jade slip, holding it tightly in his hand. He then threw it towards the direction of Tianchang Mountain.
What flew together with the jade slip wasn't just the slip itself, but also Sun Yanzheng's entire palm!
Behind the palm, erupted a red and black tail flame.
Its speed suddenly increased.
Like a shooting star, swiftly flying over the sky of Nine Mountains, heading straight for its target.
"Let's go!"
Li Fan patted Shang Tiangi's shoulder, not saying a word but handing over the Heavenly Scenery Divine Gourd.
Shang Tiangi sensed something, instantly understanding Li Fan's intention.
With a thought, a unique fluctuation enveloped the two of them.
After a moment, their figures disappeared from the top of Tianlao Mountain!
Above Tianchang City.
The three Dao Fusion cultivators besieging Tianchang Town and the Qingyu Immortal Venerate suddenly had a slight change in expression.
They looked towards a rapidly approaching blaze.
"What is this?"
Originally thinking it was the Immortal Alliance's final move, after scanning with divine sense, they found that hidden within the flames was a jade slip!
Without exchanging words, they acted unusually in sync.
A Dao Fusion cultivator, dressed like a middle-aged farmer in coarse clothes, intercepted the jade slip.
After a brief inspection, all three of them squinted their eyes.
"Universal Alliance?"
"Did they help us resolve the crisis of information leakage?"
"A method to greatly reduce the effects of the Elemental Devouring White Mist, a way to march through the mist?"
Though the contents of the jade slip were not extensive, the information it contained was substantial.
Their divine senses instantly swept across the entire Nine Mountains Province, but no trace of the sender of the jade slip was found.
"Quite impressive skills."
All three revealed highly interested expressions.
...
Taihua Province.
Li Fan and Shang Tiangi unexpectedly appeared on Taiyuxu Mountain, one of the Ten Meridians of Taihua.
"Your Heavenly Scenery Divine Gourd is indeed extraordinarily marvelous."
"It seems to utilize the power of the Earth's veins, achieving instantaneous teleportation?"
Li Fan, reminiscing about the process of spatial traversal just now, marveled.
"No, instead of the power of the Earth's veins, it's more like directly using the force of the Xuan Huang Realm to alter locations."
Li Fan suddenly remembered the scene where he had seen Mr. Bai "walk slowly."
A faint feeling arose in his heart.
Although Mr. Bai had fallen, the various "abilities" within the Xuan Huang Realm had not disappeared.
Instead, they were scattered and inherited by various so-called geniuses.
"However, even someone like Mr. Bai, who could integrate the wonders of Xuan Huang, is not an opponent in the transmission of techniques."
"Let alone these geniuses."
"At most, they're just high-quality resources in the eyes of the transmission technique!"
Li Fan pondered the thoughts of the transmission Daoist.
Shang Tiangi, however, remained unaware of this.
He continued to boast about his twin companion treasure to Li Fan, "My companion miraculous treasure consists of two gourds."
"One purple and one green."
"You've seen the green one, capable of recording landscapes and locations and freely traversing."
"As for this purple gourd..."
Chapter 815: Sensing the Profound Heaven with a Secret Technique
Shang Tiangi paused, speaking with an air of mystery, "This purple gourd can bring to life the scenes recorded by the green gourd!"
"If the energy is sufficient."
"With my current abilities, I can at most recreate a large lake within a radius of a hundred miles."
"If I advance to Dao Fusion, I'm afraid creating the Nine Mountains with a thought won't be difficult!"
Shang Tiangi's tone was filled with pride.
Li Fan was genuinely intrigued, "Oh? Is there any limitation to manifesting the landscapes, and how long can they exist? Can they manifest in the Xuan Huang Small World?"
"There are no constraints," Shang Tiangi proudly stated, "Once manifested, it can exist permanently, indistinguishable from real landscapes. It can be employed in the Xuan Huang main realm, as well as in caves, small worlds, anywhere!"
"One of my companions from the 'Mountain and River Pavilion' had a whimsical idea. He suggested that if I were to manifest within a Yuan Infant cultivator's cave world, and if the manifested scene was larger than the cultivator's cave world, it could instantly burst that Yuan Infant cultivator!"
Shang Tiangi spoke in a low voice.
The 'Mountain and River Pavilion' was an unofficial organization within the Immortal Alliance. Its members were extraordinary talents from various provinces. The minimum entry requirement was that cultivators beyond the Foundation Establishment stage, above the age of twenty, were ineligible to join.
Although the 'Mountain and River Pavilion' had few members, numbering around fifty, they were exceptionally united and mutually beneficial. After passing the assessment, regardless of their background, all were treated equally.
"Your companion has a good idea. He's a promising talent! If there's a chance, we can win him over!" Li Fan chuckled deeply.
"I think so too. Yan Fangzhou is young and has already reached the Nascent Soul realm. If he could join us, it would be a great help!" Shang Tiangi nodded in agreement.
"Nascent Soul..." Li Fan's aura slightly stagnated, then instantly returned to normal.
He grinned mischievously, "You try to get close to him, find out his thoughts. In the end, I'll take care of it."
Shang Tiangi was about to reply when a rapid alert tone suddenly came from a distant Taihua Heavenly City.
In an instant, it spread throughout the entire Taihua Mountain Range.
Upon hearing the alert tone, cultivators naturally received the information in their minds.
"As of now, the Immortal Alliance has entered Level A preparedness."
"Cultivators from various provinces' martial arenas, garrisons, and strategic planning halls, quickly return to the heavenly city. Stand by for further instructions."
"At the borders of various provinces, set up checkpoints and patrol rigorously, guarding against small infiltrations."
...
Li Fan smiled faintly, "The Immortal Alliance has finally reacted."
Shang Tiangi, however, had some concerns, "I wonder how the situation will develop."
"Don't worry. It will take some time for the Five Elders' faction to digest Nine Mountain Province. The Immortal Alliance won't stand for it and will definitely try to reclaim Nine Mountain Province."
"So, for a long time to come, both sides will be contending in Nine Mountain Province. The likelihood of war breaking out in other provinces is minimal."
"If there are no other special factors." Li Fan added suddenly.
Although Shang Tiangi was momentarily swayed by Li Fan's persuasion, he was still kind-hearted and, at this moment, felt uneasy about the possibility that his actions might lead to a continuous and brutal battlefield. Li Fan didn't console him, letting him be lost in his own thoughts.
"If everything goes as expected, soon the Five Elders' faction will try to contact me using the information I left in the jade slip."
"Let's not rush. Keep them in suspense for a while."
Li Fan was contemplating how to make a hefty profit in the upcoming trade, but suddenly, he felt a chill in his heart.
"Hmm?"
He became alert.
"Strange, this feeling is..."
Li Fan squinted his eyes, inspecting his own body.
In an instant, he identified the source of the abnormality.
A secret technique, "Exterminate the Profound"!
This was a secret technique passed down by Jiang Yushan, the Medicine King, in the 115th era. It was used during ancient times to discern remnants of the Profound Heaven Cult!
Because he wanted to collect as much confidential information about the Profound Heaven Cult as possible, Li Fan had been keeping the Exterminate the Profound secret technique active ever since he left the Xuan Huang Realm.
Originally, he didn't expect much from his luck.
Unexpectedly, after randomly teleporting with Shang Tiangi, he had coincidentally encountered it!
"Taiyu Mountain."
Li Fan's gaze swept around.
"One of the Ten Meridians of Taihua, will mysteriously collapse in the near future, forgotten by the world, becoming the Nine Meridians of Taihua."
"How can there be remnants of the Profound Heaven Cult here?"
Li Fan couldn't help but be interested.
Although it was already clear that a Law King of the Profound Heaven Cult was currently sleeping in the depths of the Purple Cloud Sect's ruins, Li Fan didn't have immediate plans to capture him—at least not now.
The Profound Heaven Cult's Law King, as one of the most formidable forces in the ancient Profound Heaven Cult, undoubtedly possessed strength on par with an ordinary Dao Fusion cultivator. Moreover, the Profound Heaven Cult's techniques were mysterious and profound, as Li Fan had experienced in Senior Sister Zhao's dreamland. Even if the Law King had slept for thousands of years, he wasn't someone the current Li Fan could handle.
If the capture failed and he was forced into a situation where he had to reciprocate...
It was better to proceed cautiously.
Anyway, the Law King wouldn't run away.
Once the Medicine King's Cauldron returned, and Li Fan subdued the Dao Fusion forces like Liu San, perhaps then he would consider giving it a try.
Returning to the present, Li Fan, with the Exterminate the Profound secret technique in hand, roamed the Taihua Mountain.
The range of this secret technique's perception was not very precise.
After nearly half a day passed, he still hadn't found any abnormal sources.
"Senior, what are you looking for?" Shang Tiangi asked curiously.
"Right. It seems there is something hidden in Taihua Mountain. Help me find it," Li Fan observed Shang Tiangi and made a decision.
He then transmitted the Exterminate the Profound secret technique to Shang Tiangi, without revealing its specific function.
After learning it, Shang Tiangi joined Li Fan in searching the mountain.
Thanks to the war preparation alert, most cultivators had returned to Taihua Heavenly City for safety. Otherwise, these two acting so covertly would certainly raise suspicions.
After searching for a long time, Shang Tiangi's luck prevailed over Li Fan's.
He seemed to have found something and hastily sent a message, "Senior, over here!"
Li Fan's eyes flashed, and he quickly arrived by Shang Tiangi's side.
"How many sounds?" Li Fan inquired.
"Two."
In the Profound Heaven Cult, the higher the rank, the more warning sounds the Exterminate the Profound secret technique would produce. When sensing the Tian Xuan Mirror initially, it emitted three sounds.
Though two sounds weren't on par with the Tian Xuan Mirror, they still indicated significance.
"Interesting."
Li Fan also felt the constant reminders from the Exterminate the Profound secret technique.
Surveying the area, it was a secluded valley between mountains, seemingly undisturbed for thousands of years.
(End of this chapter)