Chapter 451-455: Meeting Mr. Bai at Last (6k+ words)

Song Yang immediately noticed the unusual behavior of his accompanying spirit beast, and his expression changed drastically.

He didn't expect the recently born Celestial Bird to exert such pressure on the two-headed black snake purely through its momentum.

Seeing the Phoenix hiding in Xu Ke's thick hair, Song Yang's greedy eyes intensified.

However, he also knew his limits. The black two-headed snake couldn't be relied upon. It seemed he needed to think of another way.

With a cold snort, Song Yang appeased his spirit beast and turned away.

Turning a crisis into an invisible situation, Li Fan gave a sigh of relief and retreated back into his "nest."

As for Xu Ke, he just scratched his head, looking puzzled.

Time continued to pass, and the strength of Li Fan's transformed Phoenix bird kept increasing.

Soon, he approached the first transformative juncture.

Jet-black feathers covered its body, and perhaps due to absorbing Xu Ke's luck since childhood, there was a strand of purple-gold within them.

Because of practicing the Creation Furnace Technique and the ability to control its body freely, the size remained the same, allowing it to sleep comfortably in Xu Ke's hair.

Relying solely on its physical body, it could now exchange blows with demonic beasts in the later stages of the Foundation Establishment.

The mental connection with Xu Ke had long been established, but Li Fan had been ignoring him.

So, Xu Ke, foolishly, never noticed.

Instead, Li Fan took the opportunity to continuously peer into Xu Ke's mind, attempting to extract the founding technique "Beast Control Technique" from his thoughts.

Unfortunately, this silly kid's thinking was too erratic, like a wild horse, elusive and unpredictable.

Moreover, the "Beast Control Technique" seemed to have a prohibition against the mental probing of spirit beasts, so Li Fan had not succeeded.

One day, as Li Fan lay in the sun, inexplicable feelings arose in him. Suddenly standing up, he looked grave.

"Calculating the time, today is the day Mr. Bai appears."

To avoid being noticed, Li Fan quickly shrank back into his hiding place to observe secretly.

Half a day later, a loud dragon roar echoed through the heavens and earth, and Mr. Bai officially appeared.

Just like the experience in the previous life, the entire Beast Control Sect was no match for Mr. Bai.

Whether it was the towering blue dragon, the double-winged white tiger, or the two-horned Kirin, many exotic beasts were slaughtered, and their organs were presented by Mr. Bai as "gifts for the children."

The painful wails echoed in the Beast Control Sect.

The disciples of the Beast Control Sect stood dumbfounded, shivering.

At this moment, Li Fan made his move.

Suppressing the fear in his heart, he turned into a black light and shot straight into the sky amid the bloody rain of demonic beasts.

Yes, Li Fan's target was Mr. Bai!

He had always had a vague suspicion.

Could the Mr. Bai in the Immortal Realm be the future "Heavenly Physician"?

Because there were too many similarities between the two.

Both were proficient in medical skills, had unfathomable strength, and their methods were equally hard to distinguish as righteous or evil.

In the "Ningyuan Life-Prolonging Fruit" incident, Li Fan never saw Mr. Bai's true face.

And now, during this "Beast Control Sect turmoil," influenced by unknown reasons, Li Fan, looking up from below, still couldn't see his appearance.

So, Li Fan decided to try this time.

He wanted to get close to Mr. Bai and find out the truth!

To be honest, with his current cultivation only at the Foundation Establishment stage, achieving this without external assistance would be purely wishful thinking.

However, Li Fan was somewhat confident.

Naturally, this was because of Xu Ke.

Xu Ke was favored by destiny, becoming his companion spirit beast, and Li Fan also received the blessing of luck.

Moreover, Xu Ke was also one of the "children" mentioned by Mr. Bai!

With this connection, Li Fan believed that if Mr. Bai's current behavior wasn't a disguise, then he wouldn't be in life-threatening danger.

Besides, they were in the Immortal Realm.

Even if he fell, it would only be damage to his divine consciousness.

Totally worth a try.

At this moment of the Beast Control Sect's defeat, the black light transformed by Li Fan was so dazzling.

Like a shooting star flying against the current, unstoppable and resolute.

"Who is it?"

"How dare it again?"

Chapter 451: Meeting Mr. Bai at Last

At this moment, the minds of all the Beast Control Sect members were filled with this question.

Even those powerful exotic beasts, comparable to Nascent Soul cultivators, were defeated in front of the approaching powerhouse. Where did the courage of this seemingly Foundation Establishment-level black bird come from?

Amidst everyone's shock and confusion, Li Fan rapidly ascended, continuously approaching the figure in the sky.

"Hmm?"

Mr. Bai cast his gaze, and in an instant, Li Fan felt the surrounding space and even his own thoughts freeze.

Everything sank into absolute stillness.

After who knew how long, or perhaps after a moment, the surrounding restraint instantly disappeared, and Li Fan regained the ability to move.

"So, this is the power of top-tier experts…"

Li Fan was astonished. He finally understood why those who had killed Red Flame and successfully joined the Dao, when facing the Ink Kill, appeared foolish and seemed to be waiting for death without resisting or fleeing.

Not because they didn't want to, but because they couldn't!

At this moment, the reason Li Fan could break free from Mr. Bai's shackles was not because of him but due to a faint exclamation from below—Xu Ke.

"Xiao Hei!"

Li Fan believed that Mr. Bai wouldn't miss any movement within the Beast Control Sect. With Xu Ke's shout, he would naturally notice the relationship between the Phoenix that Li Fan possessed and Xu Ke.

So, he wouldn't harm Li Fan and even let the audacious Phoenix fly to his side.

With this close observation, Li Fan finally saw Mr. Bai's appearance.

Even with his reincarnation spanning a hundred lifetimes, at this moment, he couldn't help but be completely stunned.

He finally understood the meaning of the phrase he heard in Ningyuan City, that Mr. Bai was exceptionally good-looking.

A slightly weak aura, but the face was flawless, stunningly beautiful as if gathering all the love of heaven and earth. In Li Fan's mind, there were only thoughts like, "How can there be such a good-looking person under the heavens and earth?" or "It's a pity this person is not a woman."

Mr. Bai looked at the Phoenix standing still in the air, smiling faintly.

Then, Li Fan felt the originally clouded sky instantly clear up.

Mr. Bai looked at Li Fan, shook his head slightly, and lightly pointed. Countless pieces of information flooded into Li Fan's mind.

This is…

Li Fan was directly stunned.

Then, his heart began to beat violently out of control.

Containing all the mysteries of life and various paths of transcendence and evolution...

It was the perfect version of the Creation Furnace Technique.

The true "Creation Furnace Technique"!

That's it for today.

Who knows why my feet intermittently vibrate like a phone. What's happening with my trembling fingers?

I'll sleep early today. If there's no improvement when I wake up tomorrow, I'll have to go to the hospital.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 452: The Marvelous Technique of True Creation

"Cloud Water Mirage Technique," "Mysterious Transformation of True Spirits," "Stealing the Sun and Swapping the Moon"...

Li Fan had practiced these extraordinary and unparalleled techniques before. However, compared to the "Creation Furnace Technique" he obtained in his mind at this moment, they all paled in comparison and were not worth mentioning.

Li Fan was intoxicated by the wonderful words and lines, as if through this technique, he could glimpse the true mysteries of the heavens and earth. He even had a premonition that in this age without various cultivation restrictions, just by practicing this technique, even a talentless person could gradually refine, evolve, and elevate themselves, ultimately transcending the ordinary and ascending to immortality!

What is the Dao Technique? What is the Supreme Orthodox Method?

This is it!

Truly worthy of the word "creation."

Li Fan enthusiastically read and comprehended the "Creation Furnace Technique," feeling an uncontrollable joy in his heart.

To hear the Dao in the morning and be content with death at night!

Completely immersed in his thoughts, he didn't even know when he returned to Xu Ke's side.

After who knew how long, when he finally came to his senses, Mr. Bai had already disappeared without a trace.

The Beast Control Sect was in chaos, much like the previous life's experience. The disciples of the Beast Control Sect, who witnessed the wanton slaughter of their senior members, were filled with despair.

At this moment, Xu Ke was leading Li Fan, cautiously avoiding the crazed senior brothers, trying to find Mr. Bai based on the guidance given to him by Luya's token.

Probing Xu Ke's thoughts, Li Fan was surprised to find that in Xu Ke's memories, there was no scene of him turning into a Phoenix, flying to Mr. Bai's side, and then receiving guidance.

After a little contemplation, Li Fan suddenly understood.

The innocent carry the guilt of the guilty. The "Creation Furnace Technique" passed down by Mr. Bai could be considered a supreme and wonderful technique. Falling into the hands of his small Foundation Establishment demonic beast would undoubtedly attract the covetous eyes of others. Even if the technique was mysterious, it would be in vain if one couldn't cultivate it. Mr. Bai must have considered this, so he casually erased the memories of everyone present. This way, Li Fan wouldn't be in danger because of this technique, and he would have ample time to cultivate it slowly.

"Mr. Bai is really thoughtful!" Li Fan couldn't help but sigh.

Having seen Mr. Bai in person, Li Fan was now sure that he was not the "Heavenly Doctor."

Leaving aside the lack of any resemblance in appearance, their auras were also completely different. Mr. Bai's beauty was the kind that once seen, could never be forgotten. Most importantly, the kindness and amiability that Mr. Bai unintentionally revealed could not be disguised. It was entirely different from the mysterious and unpredictable demeanor of the "Heavenly Doctor."

Li Fan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Dealing with the rampant demonic beasts is like slaughtering chickens and dogs; just by looking at me, he comprehended my cultivation method and instantly gave the ultimate answer to the technique. Easily modifying the consciousness of all living beings present—it truly encompasses the essence of creation."

"Mr. Bai's strength..." Considering his actions, Li Fan couldn't help but associate him with the words "Longevity Heavenly Venerable."

"In the perception of the children in Ningyuan City, Mr. Bai is just an ordinary person. Mr. Bai himself has admitted to this point."

"In a short time, he transforms from an ordinary person to a god. Then, from a god, he transcends to longevity."

"In this way, the statements made by the orphans in Ningyuan City, such as Mr. Bai being the best person in the world, the most skilled in medical arts, the most handsome, the most gentle speaker, the smartest person, and so on, may not be exaggerated nonsense."

Li Fan's heart couldn't help but flutter.

But a question immediately followed.

Where did Mr. Bai go thousands of years later?

Is it one of the two besides the three Celestial Venerables—One Mind, No Worries, and Reality?

Li Fan felt it unlikely. The Five Elders' style of doing things was completely incompatible with Mr. Bai.

In the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?

The Eastern Polar Venerable, who is said to have created the "Pure Spirit Pool Formation" and helped ordinary people expel miasma from their bodies, does have some similarities to Mr. Bai. However, this Eastern Polar Venerable has only appeared in rumors. Even Li Fan only came across mentions of him while reading ancient books. Most Wandering Immortal cultivators probably don't know of his existence.

If Mr. Bai were still alive, he wouldn't be so obscure.

Or perhaps, like the last life's Transmitting Law Venerable, did Mr. Bai successfully break free from the constraints of the Yellow Springs Realm? Did he break through the boundaries and leave?

Or is it...

Has Mr. Bai fallen?

Just thinking about it, Li Fan shook his head and dismissed the thought. He found it hard to believe that someone as outstanding as Mr. Bai would fall so easily.

Li Fan stayed in Xu Ke's hair, his thoughts wandering, and at the same time, he instinctively activated the "Creation Furnace Technique."

Compared to Li Fan's crude method of forcibly striking the hidden energy within the body and seizing it when it overflowed, the improved furnace technique by Mr. Bai involved the resonance of the human body's furnace through the induction technique of heaven and man.

Under the unity of heaven and man, one could freely manipulate the hidden energy for transformation and cultivation. It also prompted the transformation of the human furnace toward the direction of the heaven and earth furnace, truly mysterious and extraordinary.

With every moment of cultivation, Li Fan felt the phoenix he possessed undergoing a transformation.

What woke him up from this indescribable cultivation process was the hateful Beast Control Sect disciple, Song Yang.

He still harbored ill intentions towards Li Fan's "Destined Phoenix."

After failing in his previous plot, he came back this time, spending a lot and even enlisting the assistance of a Golden Core stage "Inky Immortal Tiger." He vowed to take Li Fan away.

The Inky Immortal Tiger roared arrogantly, but Li Fan, disturbed in his cultivation, felt extremely displeased.

His body resonated like a roaring furnace, and the hidden energy spurted out.

Li Fan flew into the air, his body expanding. In an instant, he transformed from a palm-sized small bird into a fierce monster with a wingspan three zhang long, two or three times larger than the Inky Immortal Tiger.

Like grabbing a chick, Li Fan grabbed the Inky Immortal Tiger with one claw.

Without waiting for it to struggle, a faint mysterious light emanated from Li Fan's mouth, generating suction. Li Fan swallowed the Inky Immortal Tiger in one gulp.

Xu Ke was instantly dumbfounded.

Song Yang, terrified, fled for his life.

A lingering foul odor still faintly remained in the air.

Li Fan snorted disdainfully, not bothering to pursue.

Retracting the hidden energy, he returned to his original size and landed back on Xu Ke's head.

Forcibly transforming seemed to have some toll on the body. However, his body, like a furnace, refined the Inky Immortal Tiger he had swallowed into essential energy.

A warm breath spread throughout his body, and Li Fan suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion.

Unable to control it, he fell into a deep sleep.

Only Xu Ke, with an unbelieving expression on his face, remained. He reached up and touched Li Fan, completely stunned.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 453: Thousand-Year Illusion-Breaking Eyes

In the Celestial Mirror.

Li Fan sat there blankly, his expression trance-like.

Even though he was aware that the items and knowledge obtained in the Fallen Immortal Realm could only be brought back by fulfilling a long-standing wish, when he returned to the real world this time and couldn't recall a single word of the "Creation Furnace Technique" taught by Mr. Bai, Li Fan still found it mentally challenging.

Once having experienced the extraordinary nature of supreme Dao methods, Li Fan had a hard time accepting his own mediocre technique.

The disparity was too vast, like the difference between the stars in the sky and the grass on the ground. Faced with such a stark contrast, Li Fan felt a bit mentally imbalanced.

Especially with the precious mountain he once owned now gone in the blink of an eye, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.

Even someone as mentally resilient as Li Fan couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened.

"Mr. Bai, Creation Furnace Technique..."

"I can keep trying infinitely, and one day, I will surely bring back this true technique."

After a long time, Li Fan took a deep breath, slowly suppressing the negative emotions in his heart.

Based on his experience in obtaining the Longevity Fruits in the Ning Yuan City, to bring an item out, one had to fulfill the original owner's obsession.

What could be the obsession of Mr. Bai?

For Li Fan at the moment, Mr. Bai was still too mysterious. He could only gradually try to find out in the future.

Slightly sensing, he realized that the next time he could enter the Fallen Immortal Realm would be half a year later. Unfortunately, this time limit was longer than usual. Li Fan sighed slightly and kept it in mind.

At this moment, Li Fan checked his communication talisman and found a message from Chen Ying.

Chen Ying stated that he had already gone to the destination and made sufficient preparations. If he could survive this ordeal, he would surely repay Li Fan.

Li Fan chuckled and thought that if that really happened, he could use it as a typical achievement and publicize it.

"However, the focus before the grand battle in Tian Lingzhou, which will happen in 16 years, should still be on the Spirit Mist Grass incident."

"If there's no clear announcement from the Celestial Mirror, the Five Elders might not mobilize forces for an unknown Immortal Cave."

"Moreover, without Jiao Xiuyuan's instigation, the Spirit Mist Grass incident wouldn't have spread as far as it did in the previous life."

After careful consideration, Li Fan decided to go see Jiao Xiuyuan first.

Without concealing his figure, Li Fan, wearing the appearance of a Tian Ji Sect cultivator, arrived outside the Thousand Miles Hall.

Inside was as desolate as ever.

Jiao Xiuyuan lazily lay on a long bench, eyes half-closed, as if napping.

Hearing footsteps, he suddenly stood up, changed his expression, and warmly greeted, "Oh, a visitor!"

Seeing Li Fan, he was first stunned, then calmly greeted him warmly.

Li Fan didn't state what he wanted to buy but squinted his eyes, staring at Jiao Xiuyuan.

The two of them stared at each other.

After a while, Li Fan was the first to give a slight salute. "Friend, your puppetry and ability to transform are extraordinary!"

"Even in ancient times, it can be considered a rare magical technique!"

Unexpectedly, the person he just met saw through the mystery of his own technique with one sentence. Jiao Xiuyuan seemed a bit surprised.

However, he concealed it well and immediately responded, "Peeping into fate, exploring cause and effect. The ancient Tian Ji Sect is indeed well-deserved!"

"Admire! Admire!"

"I've heard a lot about you!"

The two exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.

After complimenting each other and formally introducing themselves, Jiao Xiuyuan tentatively asked, "Friend, you didn't come here just to amuse me, did you?"

"Friend Jiao, how can I, such a leisurely person?" Li Fan waved his hand and said, "I came here naturally for the 'wealth' aspect."

Jiao Xiuyuan suddenly became spirited. "Oh? I don't know what friend wants? Array talismans, magical artifacts, elixirs, everything is available in large quantities..."

"Do I look like I'm lacking these things?" Li Fan asked with a smile.

"Then what do you want?" Jiao Xiuyuan's face became serious.

"I didn't come to buy. I came to sell!" Li Fan shook his head and said in a deep voice. "Whether it can happen or not depends on whether Friend Jiao recognizes the value."

"Sell? I don't just accept anything here..." Jiao Xiuyuan was about to say, but when he saw what Li Fan had in his hands, he couldn't help but stop.

In the Celestial Mirror, a lifelike eyeball stared at him menacingly.

A strong killing intent pervaded, making him instinctively want to retaliate.

Fortunately, he sensed that this eyeball had no attacking nature and restrained himself.

"What is this?" Jiao Xiuyuan squinted his eyes and couldn't help but ask.

Li Fan, with a slightly regretful tone, said, "This is a relic from my senior brother back in the day. Since he has passed away, this item is useless to me. Seeing it only adds to the melancholy. So, I want to pass it on to someone else. Unfortunately, the Celestial Mirror doesn't recognize its value and offered a low price. It's truly an insult to my senior brother."

"So, I deduced through divination, searching for someone qualified to take over. That's why I came to Friend Jiao." Li Fan explained slowly.

Li Fan wasn't lying.

In the Bai Shi Immortal Cave's Tian Ji Sect remnants, besides techniques and scriptures, Li Fan had two other gains.

One of them was the eyeball in his hand right now.

The Celestial Mirror identified it as the "Illusion-Breaking Stone Eye," similar to a miraculous existence, aggregating rules.

After a cultivator absorbed and refined it, it was said to have the ability to break through illusions and foresee the future.

In theory, such a treasure would undoubtedly be priceless.

Unfortunately, the Illusion-Breaking Stone Eye had already been refined by a cultivator.

Pure laws of heaven and earth had been contaminated by the aura and karma of the cultivator.

Moreover, thousands of years had passed, and the drastic changes in the world had led to significant changes in the power of the laws.

Under the dual influence of these two factors, the divination effect of the Illusion-Breaking Stone Eye was greatly discounted.

It might work one out of ten times, making it less reliable.

So, the Celestial Mirror only offered a contribution value buyback price of sixty thousand.

Although this item wasn't of much use to Li Fan, who could foresee events, he wasn't lacking in those sixty thousand contribution points. Therefore, he had kept it by his side.

Now, he took it out to establish a connection with Jiao Xiuyuan.

"How about it, does Friend Jiao recognize this item?" Li Fan deliberately asked.

Jiao Xiuyuan stayed in place for a moment, then sneered, "How could I not know about this item? It's just an Illusion-Breaking Stone Eye."

He contemplated for a moment before saying, "Let me tell you, there's a reason why the Celestial Mirror offered a low price for this. Although this item is rare, if you want to sell it for a good price, you'll need to find the right person."

"I naturally understand this matter. That's also the reason why I came to find Friend Jiao." Li Fan replied.

Throwing the Illusion-Breaking Stone Eye over generously, Li Fan said, "I believe, Friend Jiao will surely find a suitable new owner for it."

"Please help me with this favor. Half of the proceeds from the sale will go to Friend Jiao. How about it?"

Jiao Xiuyuan's eyes lit up. "I'll take on this business!"

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 454: Mysterious Art Devours Earth's Pulse

Seeing Jiao Xiuyuan's quick agreement, Li Fan nodded, "Alright, then, I'll trouble Friend Jiao with this. Looking forward to your good news!"

With that, he threw a communication talisman to Jiao Xiuyuan without mentioning receipts or the like, and left directly.

"This person seems quite trusting of me." Jiao Xiuyuan muttered in a low voice, waving the Illusion-Breaking Stone Eye in his hand.

The next moment, the stone eye disappeared into thin air, its destination unknown.

Meanwhile, the puppet on Wuxian Island reverted to its previous lazy appearance.

Little did Jiao Xiuyuan know, it wasn't that Li Fan trusted him so much. The Illusion-Breaking Stone Eye was merely a pretext Li Fan used to establish a connection with him. Even if he couldn't sell it, or even if Jiao Xiuyuan kept it for himself, it didn't matter to Li Fan. What Li Fan truly cared about was the "big business" that followed.

Back in the Celestial Mirror, Li Fan remembered the other item he found in the Bai Shi Immortal Cave ruins, the entire stone tower he brought back.

His initial hunch was correct. After the Celestial Mirror identified it, the whole tower turned out to be a magical tool called the "Qiankun Heavenly Dice."

When mortals roll dice, they get a five or six.

But when cultivators roll dice, they obtain the number of heavenly secrets.

Ancient Tianji Sect cultivators relied on the Qiankun Heavenly Dice, using the information as a basis and Qi-sensing as power to deduce countless possibilities of the future.

The reason Li Fan saw an empty scene was that the Qiankun Heavenly Dice was frozen in the scene from the completed divination of that year.

"A realm of nothingness."

"I wonder what the ancient Tianji Sect cultivator was divining at the time. Surprisingly, the result was such."

Li Fan extended his hand, and a crystal-clear regular icosahedron die appeared in his palm.

On each face, upon closer inspection, seemed to shimmer with different scenes.

Although Li Fan had tried several times before to use the Qiankun Heavenly Dice to foresee the future and see if it matched his past experiences, he only received fragmented, meaningless images, seemingly of no practical use.

Despite this, Li Fan didn't sell it. He had a hunch that keeping it might prove valuable in the future.

After playing with it for a while, Li Fan put away the Heavenly Dice, and his attention shifted to his clone "Zhou Qing'ang."

During these days, he had been staying on Tai'an Island, occasionally contacting necessary individuals with communication talismans.

It wasn't just idle time; he was researching ways to overcome the side effects of the "Devour Heaven, Swallow Earth Grand Art."

This secret technique might be modeled after the ancient beast, the Reverting-to-Origin Clam. Though it possessed the ability to devour the heavens and earth, the cultivator's mental state was extremely vulnerable, leading to either self-destruction or being discovered and killed.

However, Li Fan had the power to maintain his absolute rationality, derived from the Blue Flame power from visualizing the Illusory Spirit.

He didn't need to maintain composure throughout the process of devouring the heavens and earth; he just needed to stop at critical moments.

With the dual boost of the Enlightenment Pill and the Awakening state, Li Fan had spent considerable effort and finally succeeded in achieving this.

However, to increase cultivation through the Devour Heaven, Swallow Earth Grand Art, the problem of solidified earth pulses that couldn't be absorbed needed to be resolved.

Li Fan had already made plans for this.

Concealing his figure, he teleported to the western part of the Congyun Sea to Lingmu Island, and continued flying westward.

After about five hundred miles, Li Fan stealthily entered the sea.

Diving deep into the sea, he searched for a while and indeed found the remains of a sunken island.

Last life, shortly afterward, this island would re-emerge from the sea due to an inexplicable change in the earth's pulses.

The reactivated protective formation would also attract the attention of the Array Division of the Tai'an Sea. 

However, before all this happened, it looked the same as other underwater ruins.

Li Fan entered the ruins and waited patiently.

Seven days later, the seabed slightly trembled.

"It's here!"

Chapter 454: Mysterious Art Devours Earth's Pulse

Li Fan thought to himself as he forcefully stamped his feet, causing his body to sink instantly. Simultaneously, he activated the "Devour Heaven, Swallow Earth Grand Art" and sensed something.

From an unknown and distant place, a surging and unending force transmitted through the earth's veins. It gradually reactivated the previously depleted earth vein nodes in this area. If there were no external interference, these revived earth vein nodes would push the sunken island back to the sea surface.

However, with Li Fan present, such a thing would not happen. Under his feet, it seemed as if a massive vortex had formed. The rushing earth vein force, not yet fully formed, was all sucked into Li Fan's body, transformed into pure spiritual energy.

Simultaneously, the cultivation technique practiced by his clone spontaneously activated, not the original one used by the spy Zhou Qing'ang but another one called "Heavenly Will Mystic Pearl Technique," obtained from the Tianji Sect.

This ancient technique, originally slow to cultivate, was undergoing an astonishing acceleration under the unrestricted speed boost provided by the "Devour Heaven, Swallow Earth Grand Art."

The earth vein force flowed continuously, and Li Fan's clone absorbed it recklessly. The originally significant changes in the mountains and rivers that should have alarmed the entire sea area were extinguished invisibly.

In just a moment, the clone's cultivation had reached the bottleneck of the early Golden Core stage. Due to the existence of the Heavenly Tribulation, the Heavenly Will Mystic Pearl Technique, even when operating at an unprecedented speed, couldn't progress any further.

Li Fan frowned slightly but didn't stop the devouring action. Even if the absorbed earth vein force was wasted, he didn't mind at all.

The spiritual energy converted from the Devour Heaven, Swallow Earth Grand Art continued to accumulate within the clone's body, completely filling every part of its frame. Seeing the clone about to burst, Li Fan slapped his chest, and a suction force erupted from his hand, once again devouring and converting the excess spiritual energy within.

In the ancient era without the "Heavenly Tribulation," such a situation as Li Fan's current one wouldn't have occurred. The acquisition of spiritual energy would not have kept up with the speed of cultivation increase.

However, the existence of cultivation bottlenecks trapped Li Fan, practicing the Devour Heaven, Swallow Earth Grand Art, in a peculiar situation.

All the power transformed by devouring was used to accelerate the cultivation of the technique. Still, it was unable to make any progress. The technique's operation had reached a terrifying speed, like a surging tide, continuously assaulting an immensely sturdy dam.

Li Fan carefully experienced and recorded everything happening within his clone's body. Compared to the mighty earth vein force, the power of a minor Golden Core cultivator was insignificant. Yet, this power, which should have allowed a Golden Core cultivator to at least advance to the Nascent Soul stage, was continuously being depleted during the impact of the Heavenly Tribulation.

However, the reality proved that everything Li Fan did was not in vain. After countless impacts, a slight loosening appeared in the bottleneck.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 455: Heavenly Palm Light as a Gentle Touch

Li Fan's eyes flashed with a hint of brilliance as he increased the intensity of devouring once again. The rushing earth vein force, spanning thousands of miles, flowed entirely into Li Fan's body.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Li Fan seemed to faintly hear a resonating collision sound within his own body. In the midst of this mutual struggle, it felt like something was slowly breaking.

It sounded as if there were crisp cracking sounds.

After a moment, Li Fan's cultivation soared rapidly, and his momentum continued to climb. In the blink of an eye, he progressed from just breaking through the mid-Golden Core stage to advancing towards the late-Golden Core stage.

At this moment...

Li Fan suddenly felt the originally somewhat bright sea floor completely darken. It wasn't just darkness in terms of vision but also a sense of confinement where space seemed sealed off.

Without pausing the devouring action, Li Fan looked up.

He saw a giant palm appearing above his head, shrouding everything and pressing down.

In front of this palm, Li Fan appeared tiny, like an ant.

"Damn!"

Seeing this unexplainable power, Li Fan cursed inwardly. However, his clone, currently operating the "Devour Heaven, Swallow Earth Grand Art," was like eating the heart of a bear and gallbladder of a leopard. Faced with this terrifying giant palm, it showed no fear.

Instead, it opened its mouth, seemingly attempting to swallow the giant palm!

The result was...

Naturally, without a doubt.

The next moment, Li Fan lost contact with his clone.

Fortunately, the inexplicable entity that took action didn't seem to have any intention of investigating further. It didn't trace back to Li Fan's original body.

Otherwise, he might have been forced to reveal his true identity again.

Li Fan carefully recalled the moment when the giant hand appeared.

"It seems that it was caused by my forcefully breaking through the Heavenly Tribulation?"

"Is it a countermeasure from heaven and earth, or..."

Frowning slightly, Li Fan's mind activated the blue glow of the Dao Stone Crystal.

In the moment just before his clone was crushed, while using the Devour Heaven, Swallow Earth Grand Art, he indeed absorbed a trace of energy from that giant hand.

If the opponent were a cultivator, Li Fan would undoubtedly be unable to do this.

Continuously savoring the taste of that energy, Li Fan pondered.

"It seems more like pure rule power."

"In this case, it seems somewhat similar to Senior Zhang's Law Avatar."

"Invisible most of the time, only taking action in specific situations..."

"I originally thought of using the Devour Heaven, Swallow Earth Grand Art to advance my clone's cultivation to the late Golden Core stage, accumulating experience to break through to the Nascent Soul stage a step ahead. Who would have expected to encounter unexpected disaster."

"Fortunately, it was just the clone."

Li Fan sighed inwardly, already accustomed to the dangers in the mysterious Huang Realm.

Silently leaving Wanxian Island, finding a secluded place, he spent some effort to recreate "Zhou Qing'ang" once again.

Chapter 456: Heavenly Palm Light Like a Gentle Caress

The clone nodded slightly, bidding farewell to the original, and hurried to the scene of the incident.

He wanted to see what the area that had just suffered the descending palm from the sky would look like.

Shortly after, Li Fan returned to the scene.

To his surprise, the sea was calm, and the sky was serene, showing no signs of disaster.

It seemed as if everything that had just happened was just his illusion.

Li Fan pondered for a moment, then submerged into the sea.

When he saw the underwater scenery, his pupils couldn't help but contract.

The ruins of the sunken island were no longer there.

Instead, there was sand and silt that looked no different from an ordinary seabed.

It wasn't pure destruction but more like erasing every trace of existence!

After deeply observing, Zhou Qing'ang calmly returned to Tai'an Island, lying low.

In the Heavenly Mirror.

Using the clone's eyes, Li Fan observed the result of the giant palm strike, deep in thought.

"Breaking the Heavenly Tribulation forcefully seems to violate some taboo, leading to erasure."

"And everything happened silently."

"If I survive such a strike, what will happen?"

"Will the bottleneck trouble no longer exist? Of course, it might attract even more terrifying entities."

The idea of seeking death only lasted a moment before Li Fan dismissed it.

"However, in the previous life, after some time, the Heavenly Tribulation mysteriously disappeared. I wonder what the reason was."

After this unexpected giant palm suppression, Li Fan gave up the plan to let the clone cultivate.

It was better to be an obedient tool and escape when necessary.

Since the attempt to advance the clone's cultivation by comprehending the Nascent Soul stage in advance failed, Li Fan had to settle for buying relevant experiences from the Heavenly Mirror.

Each person's comprehension was different, but they all made sense, without much distinction between good and bad.

With his wealth, Li Fan bought them all and carefully studied them.

Time passed slowly as Li Fan practiced and contemplated, and soon it was time for the second investment agreed upon with He Zhenghao.

Due to the success of the previous investment, He Zhenghao's harvest this time was not bad. He raised a total of 550,000 contribution points.

After confirming with Li Fan, He Zhenghao immediately transferred the contribution points.

At the same time, he added his own 100,000 contribution points.

"One year later, one million contribution points," Li Fan succinctly stated.

Overjoyed, He Zhenghao showered Li Fan with a series of compliments.

Li Fan, uninterested, directly ended the communication.

At the same time, he looked at the list of recruited personnel for this round.

What caught his attention was a cultivator named Zhou Peng, who still occupied the majority.

"Interesting. He has so much confidence in me? Isn't he afraid I'll take the money and run?"

"And like He Zhenghao, how did this Foundation Establishment cultivator accumulate so many contribution points?"

This person, Li Fan had occasionally heard He Zhenghao mention in his previous life.

He was often with He Zhenghao, discussing investment strategies as good friends.

Seemingly having a close relationship with a cultivator from the Heavenly Machine Hall, this person was well-informed and often led everyone to make a small profit.

So, in their little group, he held considerable prestige.

In the previous lifetimes, when He Zhenghao planned to hype the Spirit Mist Grass, this person contributed several times.

"Hmph, regardless of what's going on, I'm not afraid. Let's just observe for now."

Li Fan looked at his balance of over six million contribution points and sneered.

With this many contribution points, it was enough to manipulate the market for a while.

Moreover, the Spirit Mist Grass event was approaching.

These contribution points would multiply several times more.

"The only concern is that such a massive transaction is likely to attract the attention of those with ill intentions."

"It's time to see how Junior Brother Tianyang's recovery is going."

With these thoughts, Li Fan quietly entered his Dao-incarnation.

Tianyang was quietly sitting in the formation, absorbing energy to replenish himself.

There was no sign of alertness when Li Fan arrived.

Li Fan checked the progress.

"Almost there."

"His Nascent Soul strength should be secure in the Sea of Clouds."

"But once out of the Sea of Clouds, it might be a bit inadequate."

"The Sea of Crimson Flames..."

Li Fan looked at Tianyang, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)