Chapter 621-625: Difficulties in Writing (6k+ words)

Hearing Ximen Yu's affirmative words, Li Fan couldn't help but fall into contemplation.

"As time passes, fluctuations occur. Is this the natural change of the Xuanhuang Realm itself, or is it caused by external forces?"

Li Fan subconsciously thought of the elusive transmission technique of that Dragon-Seeing-Head-But-Not-Seeing-Tail Supreme.

There's no other reason. If there's a cultivator within the Xuanhuang Realm capable of easily reshaping the world, it must be this new method creator.

"However, if the speculation is correct, and the Xuanhuang Realm is about to fall into the Immortal Domain, why doesn't the Transmission Technique Supreme escape? Instead, he tirelessly transforms the world for thousands of years. Why is that?"

"Could it be that by completing the transformation of the world, the Transmission Technique Supreme can transcend?" Li Fan speculated, thinking about the incident when the Transmission Technique Supreme left the Xuanhuang Realm in the previous life after a dozen years.

In a moment, many thoughts flashed through Li Fan's mind, but he temporarily suppressed the doubts in his heart.

"Brother Ximen is truly an extraordinary talent, able to glimpse the true nature of heaven and earth from subtle details. I think even Dao Fusion experts may not be as good as you!" Li Fan praised emphatically.

Then, changing the subject, he said, "With such groundbreaking research, I wonder if you've detailed it in a book? I'd love to read it all night!"

Ximen Yu was initially somewhat proud, but when Li Fan inquired about writing a book, he suddenly became somewhat awkward.

Under Li Fan's repeated inquiries, he could only reluctantly reveal the truth.

It turned out that he had already completed the writing of the entire "Ancient and Modern Examination of Mountains and Rivers" and was thinking of publishing it, making a name for himself.

However, he received a warning from the Immortal Alliance.

The Immortal Alliance officially believed that there were many inappropriate contents in the book that were not suitable for public disclosure and needed to be revised.

However, they did not specify which contents violated taboos.

Helpless, Ximen Yu had to delete a part, re-upload it for review, but it still didn't pass.

In the end, he deleted most of the thick book, leaving only a surviving long article.

"Hehe, since then, I have also been disheartened, just relying on my own knowledge to earn some contribution points, and incidentally changing my research direction."

"By the way, recently, I am dedicated to researching the flow of Earth Meridians. If Daoist is interested, we can exchange ideas." Ximen Yu said with a slightly melancholic tone.

Li Fan contemplated for a moment and asked quietly, "I wonder if you have a backup of the original manuscript?"

Ximen Yu chuckled, "The 'Ancient and Modern Examination' is my lifelong study, deeply engraved in my mind. What backup do I need?"

"But it can't be transmitted through the Tianxuan Mirror in its complete version. If Daoist really wants to read it, you can come to Qihong Isle in Leyang Prefecture to find me."

Leyang Prefecture is located in the central-eastern part of the Immortal Alliance, about a dozen states away from Congyun Sea. However, with teleportation, it won't take much time.

Li Fan agreed immediately.

"By the way, Brother Ximen, can you mark on the map the possible locations of those places I asked you to find but couldn't locate? Before we disconnect the communication, I wanted to inquire about this."

Ximen Yu was somewhat surprised at the request, "Could it be that Daoist wants to explore the White Mist?""Not necessarily. It's just a thought. After all, the ferocity of the Elemental-Eating White Mist is something no one would want to experience. If I have nothing to do in the future, I might explore it."

"That's good. I thought I met another lunatic." Ximen Yu muttered.

"Another lunatic? Brother Ximen, what do you mean by that?" Li Fan became interested and quickly asked.

"Oh, it's nothing special. During the time I conducted on-site terrain surveys, I witnessed a crazy cultivator running in and out of the White Mist Barrier many times."

"At the beginning, he looked like a young man. Later on, he became extremely old. I don't know if he's still alive now."

"I advised him, but he didn't listen. He just kept saying that the White Mist Barrier had a great secret..."

"This is just common sense. You need to have the fate to study."

Ximen Yu sneered, his tone disdainful.

While speaking, he transmitted a map with several markings.

"I'll think of a way for the remaining ones in the next few days to see if there's any possibility of unlocking them. If it really doesn't work, I won't contact you again." After saying this, there was no more sound from the other side.

Li Fan carefully examined the map and found markings scattered throughout the territories of the Immortal Alliance. When Li Fan initially selected these locations, he intentionally chose them within one or two adjacent states based on the memories of Linghu Chang.

From this, it was evident that Ximen Yu's research was not without basis.

Indeed, the Xuanhuang Realm had been torn apart and reshaped.

Staring at the map, Li Fan remained silent for a long time. After a while, he completely deleted the map information.

"For now, let's continue to purchase materials for refining the Longevity Pill from the Tianxuan Mirror. When we accumulate a batch, we'll let Liusan use the Puxian True Boat to venture into the depths of the White Mist. Let's see if we can discover anything."

"If it doesn't work, we can also consider planting them in the Wood Element Cave in my Five Elements Heavenly Realm."

Li Fan's Five Elements Heavenly Realm domain was still in its infancy.

Whether in terms of size or the concentration of spiritual energy, it was far from comparable to the one that caused the great battle between the Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders' Association.

But fortunately, there was no essential difference, and the future was boundless.

"Planting spirit plants is also beneficial for perfecting the laws within the Wood Element Cave of the Five Elements Heavenly Realm. It's just that one should focus on their expertise..."

Suddenly, Li Fan thought of Chen Ying, the Nascent Soul cultivator from the Medicine Hall in Congyun Sea.

Since he was requisitioned into the Five Elements Heavenly Realm, there had been no news of him.

However, unlike the previous life, because Li Fan issued a warning, he had not fallen until now.

It's just that he couldn't be contacted.

"He should still be in the Five Elements Heavenly Realm, I wonder what he's busy with." Li Fan remembered that in the previous life, not long after, at the age of 38, due to the massive extraction of resources from the Five Elements Heavenly Realm, his Five Elements became unbalanced and returned to One, leading to his annihilation.

"I don't know if this world's Immortal Alliance will repeat the same mistakes." Li Fan was still unclear about why the Immortal Alliance was extracting resources so extravagantly from the Five Elements Heavenly Realm. However, judging from Chen Ying's failure to return, it seemed that the Immortal Alliance's actions in the Five Elements Heavenly Realm had not stopped.

After pondering for a moment, Li Fan shook his head slightly and stopped thinking further.

Just as he was about to return to his island form, he suddenly received a message notification from the Tianxuan Mirror.

The former island master of Wanxian Island, the Nascent Divinity cultivator, Hongxi Immortal Lord, who had been requisitioned into the Immortal Alliance headquarters for several years, had finally returned.

He ordered Li Fan, the "Secret Envoy," to immediately go and see him.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 622: Hongxi Returns to Congyun

"Finally back..." Li Fan squinted his eyes slightly.

"Only him? What about Purple Cloud Immortal Lord?"

In an instant, Li Fan had already replayed in his mind the possible scenarios after meeting the two.

Including but not limited to: Hongxi Immortal Lord facing the current situation of being sidelined and losing power, rising up in rebellion, relying on the charisma of his Nascent Divinity cultivation to instantly regain the support of the majority of cultivators. Or, Hongxi Immortal Lord remaining calm on the surface, pretending to be appeased for the time being. When Li Fan relaxed, he would act like thunder, launching a counterattack and achieving an instant reversal of the situation. Finally, he might use unfounded charges to remove Li Fan from his position.

And so on.

But Li Fan never expected that when Hongxi Immortal Lord really saw him, there was no tension. Instead, Hongxi burst into laughter and gave Li Fan a big hug.

Li Fan's body stiffened slightly, and a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes.

"Do I know him well?" he thought.

Hongxi Immortal Lord, however, seemed completely unaware of the strange look in Li Fan's eyes. He patted Li Fan's shoulder and expressed great satisfaction.

"Well done! You did a great job! When we heard that Wanxian Island was almost completely uprooted by the Five Elders' Association, originally, Purple Cloud and I were worried that Congyun Sea would turn into a mess. Unexpectedly, you emerged out of nowhere. In the past few years, various assessment rankings not only didn't decrease but also rose by several positions!"

"Why didn't you wake up earlier? Otherwise, I wouldn't have been troubled by various matters these years."

"Continue your work! From now on, handle the political affairs of Congyun Sea!"

Hongxi Immortal Lord appeared very pleased.

Li Fan fell silent.

Dressed in white, Hongxi seemed relaxed, humming an unknown tune as he returned to the table in the room.

Elegantly pouring a cup of tea for himself, he enjoyed it blissfully.

"Living a life where you lie down without moving and still see your merits soaring, this is the real life," he lazily remarked.

Turning around and seeing Li Fan still standing, he immediately beckoned, "Hey, don't be so formal. Come and have a cup of tea!"

"Well, thank you, Lord City Master!" Li Fan did not refuse and went forward to sit down.

After drinking another cup of tea, Hongxi spoke again, "Purple Cloud and I heard about your deeds at the Immortal Alliance headquarters. Hmm, truly deserving of being a disciple of an ancient sect, a bit more capable than us current cultivators."

"By the way, what realm have you restored your cultivation to now? Nascent Soul or Nascent Divinity?" Hongxi Immortal Lord looked at Li Fan, then shook his head.

"Can't see through, can't see through!"

Li Fan calmly said, "Regardless of the cultivation realm, I am just a subordinate of the City Master now."

Hongxi Immortal Lord laughed, "Then I'm just a subordinate of the First Eccentric. He is also a subordinate of the great Transmission Masters."

"All serving the Immortal Alliance, what's the difference?"

Li Fan's expression suddenly became solemn. "The thought realm of the Lord is truly extraordinary. I admire it!"

Looking at Li Fan still being so serious, Hongxi Immortal Lord suddenly had a gloomy face. Shaking his head, he sighed, "Really an antique! Boring, so boring."

"Well, as long as you continue to help me handle political affairs as usual, everything will remain the same."

Seeing Hongxi Immortal Lord's attitude, which didn't seem like an act, Li Fan couldn't help but ask, "Lord, don't you want to return to power?"

Hongxi Immortal Lord laughed again, "This is something you don't understand. But it doesn't matter; you'll understand in the future. It's fine to tell you now."

"I have been in charge of Congyun Sea for almost two hundred years, working diligently. I haven't achieved any great merits, but I haven't made any mistakes either."

"These days have come to an end. Do I want to take another step forward?"

Hongxi Immortal Lord sighed slightly, "It's difficult!"

Chapter 622: Hongxi Returns to Congyun

"The Immortal Alliance has so many Nascent Divinity cultivators. Instead of competing with those people without entering the Dao Union, it's better to enjoy life here in my Congyun Sea."

"All these political affairs, you can handle them carefully for one year, two years, even ten or thirty years. But what about a hundred or two hundred years?"

"I've long been fed up. But I can't bear to resign and leave the mess to my subordinates. But entrusting it to subordinates, they are all winebags and rice bags, and I don't trust them."

"For so many years, finally, there's someone like you!"

"Now, Purple Cloud is staying in the inland for some 'friendly exchange meeting.' I don't even bother to attend that once-in-a-few-hundred-years grand event, eager to come back to see you."

"As expected, you didn't disappoint me!"

Hongxi Immortal Lord sighed.

"I heard that you might have been a bit worried before, thinking that I would take back my power when I return? No need! I can't wait to hand over all this mess to you!"

"Rest assured, I will gather everyone tomorrow and explain this matter. You will still be in charge in the future!"

Li Fan's face couldn't help but twitch.

But he still clasped his hands and said, "Thank you very much for your kindness, Lord City Master."

Hongxi Immortal Lord patted Li Fan's shoulder again. "Do well! Although your merits as a 'secret envoy' are fewer each year than mine, you are already in a different league from those cultivators who work hard on merit missions every year."

"And I heard that, during your tenure as the acting island master and supervisor of Congyun City, your position was at the same level as the city master."

"Calculating this way, your merit level should have risen rapidly over the years."

This time, Li Fan was stunned.

"Merit is distributed every year? Why haven't I received any?"

Drinking tea at the moment, Hongxi Immortal Lord sprayed the tea out of his mouth in shock, looking at Li Fan in amazement.

"Impossible, right? You haven't received merits? Then what have you been working hard for these years?"

"I..." Li Fan hesitated.

Suddenly realizing that there was a deep generation gap between them, he could only remain silent.

"You haven't participated in the annual settlement in the Tianxuan Mirror all this time, have you?" After a while, Hongxi Immortal Lord looked at Li Fan with a strange look.

Li Fan shrugged, "No one has mentioned this to me."

Hongxi Immortal Lord slapped his head.

"Uh..."

He said weakly, "Then you should go and check it quickly. There might be some surprises."

Li Fan nodded, saluted, and quickly left.

Watching Li Fan's gradually disappearing figure, Hongxi Immortal Lord shook his head, "Ah, worthy of being the Immortal Alliance. When things don't concern them, they act indifferent..."

When Li Fan returned to the Tianxuan Mirror and inquired, he finally understood what the annual settlement was all about.

It turned out that besides the annual contribution "salary" for the main governing officials in each region, there was also the "performance" reward distributed based on the overall ranking of each region in the entire Immortal Alliance.

Settled once a year, in addition to contributions, there were also a large number of merits.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 623: Immortal Alliance Calendar

In the Tianxuan Mirror, rays of light appeared one after another.

Since the establishment of the Congyun Immortal City, overseen by Li Fan, which began in the 11th anchoring year and continued until the end of the 14th anchoring year, a total of four years of settlement data suddenly appeared in front of Li Fan.

"New Immortal Calendar 2021: Overall ranking: 231st, rewarded three times with medium-grade Beta merits, and 11,000 contribution points."

"New Immortal Calendar 2022: Overall ranking: 226th, rewarded three times with medium-grade Beta merits, and 15,000 contribution points. Additionally, during the Tianlingzhou Battle, the Congyun Sea region responded actively to the Immortal Alliance's call for mobilization and performed well. Extra reward: one time with high-grade Beta merits."

...

With the instant reception of thirteen merit tasks, Li Fan's merit level soared all the way until it reached Yan 22, stopping there.

In the previous life, Li Fan, relying on the unprecedented merits of constructing the Tianxuan Locking Spirit Array, elevated his merit level to 31 only when his life was about to end.

Now, almost like a shopkeeper who did nothing, he smoothly ascended to Yan 22.

Of course, this was also due to the high-grade Alpha merits granted by the Immortal Alliance when Congyun City was established.

The increase in merit level unlocked many previously hidden techniques and treasures in the Tianxuan Mirror. However, Li Fan, who had reached a higher level in the previous life, merely glanced at it. He found that compared to the previous life, the list had only added some treasures that could be exchanged only by the regional political managers.

For example, the Mirror of All Beings, which could monitor the overall number and distribution of cultivators in a region. The Clock of Myriad Forms, which could display the approximate development of other regions within the year and the predicted ranking in the annual comprehensive settlement.

In general, these were artifacts that made internal competition more convenient. For Li Fan, they had no practical use.

What Li Fan cared more about was the dates mentioned in the settlement prompts.

"New Immortal Calendar..."

As the name suggests, the New Immortal Calendar is a set of calendars implemented with the reconstruction of the Immortal Alliance by the Law-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable as the first year.

However, when Li Fan previously consulted various classics, all specific time-related information had been intentionally blurred.

There were only vague concepts like ancient, ancient times, and thousands or hundreds of years ago.

This was the first time Li Fan had seen specific and precise time records.

As for Sima Changkong's bloodline history book, it used its own initiation as the first year, just like Li Fan's anchoring for several years. It did not apply to the overall situation of the cultivation world.

"It seems that internally within the Immortal Alliance, there must be a detailed set of recording rules. They just keep it a secret."

Li Fan did not find this strange. Since the Museum of Divine Treasures preserved various precious relics from the history of the Xuanhuang Realm, it was only natural that it recorded the real history itself.

"Old matters are not suitable to be mentioned to the public. Blurring the past is what keeps things stable," Li Fan sneered in his heart.

"I remember that after reaching Level 30, I will have the opportunity to visit the Museum of Divine Treasures for free." Glancing at the skull in the center of the hall in his mind, Li Fan felt as if he could sense the hunger of [Still True].

However, in the next moment, Li Fan forcefully suppressed the urge. The Museum of Divine Treasures was heavily guarded, with the Beast Emperor San Mao sitting in it. Acting recklessly was equivalent to falling into a trap. At least, it was not something the current Li Fan could covet. Only by gradually enhancing his strength in the cycle, probing more secrets, and finding a suitable breakthrough, could there be a glimmer of hope.

Closing the merit record, Li Fan sent a message to Hongxi Immortal Lord, indicating that he had received all the merits of the past few years and thanked him for his guidance.

Hongxi laughed heartily, not saying much, just telling Li Fan to keep it up. He would take care of the thoughts of the people below.

Sure enough, three days later, when Hongxi Immortal Lord, who had returned, gathered all the internal cultivators of Congyun Sea for a talk, everyone expected Li Fan, who was once brilliant, to lose his power and fall from grace.

Unexpectedly, Hongxi Immortal Lord publicly announced that Li Fan would continue to oversee political affairs on his behalf.

This made the originally uneasy He Zhenghao and others suddenly overjoyed.

The other cultivators also showed expressions of disbelief.

Silently casting a sidelong glance at Li Fan's calm face, they felt both shocked and fearful.

For Li Fan's background, they speculated wildly.

To force Hongxi Immortal Lord, who had ruled Congyun Sea for a hundred years, to relinquish power, how terrifying was the strength that Li Fan secretly hid?

Ignoring the changing expressions of the crowd, Li Fan bowed to Hongxi Immortal Lord, expressing his gratitude once again.

While Hongxi Immortal Lord lazily waved his hand and disappeared from the scene with a step, Li Fan naturally knew that Hongxi Immortal Lord couldn't be bothered with the affairs of Congyun Sea anymore and just wanted to be a carefree shopkeeper.

However, others were unaware of this!

In their eyes, the departing figure of Hongxi Immortal Lord seemed somewhat desolate!

The truth was clear! In the power struggle, Hongxi Immortal Lord indeed lost to Li Fan!

A surge of colossal waves rose in the hearts of the cultivators, and they all lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at this spirited mysterious envoy.

Seeing the reactions of the cultivators, Li Fan knew what they were thinking.

However, he couldn't be bothered to explain and instead followed Hongxi's example.

"In the affairs of the Immortal Alliance, stability comes first. Everything in Congyun Sea will remain as usual, with Zhou Qing'ang, He Zhenghao, Gao Yuan, and others assisting me in managing all matters."

Zhou and the others were overjoyed, eagerly agreeing.

"Let's disperse!" Li Fan waved his hand, said his piece, and disappeared with a step, leaving no trace.

After Li Fan left, the Hall of Political Affairs immediately became turbulent.

"Congratulations, Brother Zhou!"

"Master He, this is truly a cause for celebration!"

...

Li Fan listened for a moment, shook his head slightly, and was about to return to the Island of Body Transformation when he suddenly received another message.

"The Second Immortal Alliance and Five Elders Friendly Exchange Event will be held in ten days in Tianlingzhou."

"On this former battlefield, both sides will forget hatred and establish new friendships."

Li Fan immediately thought of the devastated scene in Tianlingzhou that he had seen before.

"Is it okay to hold a friendly exchange event in such a place?" Li Fan muttered to himself.

"Could it be that, on the surface, it's a friendly exchange, but in reality, tensions still exist."

Li Fan carefully searched for related information and indeed found some anomalies.

In addition to the genuine "exchange" represented by the mutual display of the "Town World Supreme Artifacts," the exchange event would also include competitive activities such as martial arts, legal debates, and formation trials.

Representatives from both sides attending would be the top young talents in their respective organizations.

Moreover, the entire process of the competition would be broadcast in real-time.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 624: Tianyang's Intention to Unite the Dao

"This is a clear cessation of war, just using a different method to compete," Li Fan was not unfamiliar with this.

"It's a perfect opportunity to see the true talents of both sides and their actual levels."

Li Fan was very interested in this.

For the convenience of all cultivators to watch, the Immortal Alliance specially created a mirror artifact.

With a low price, it only cost one hundred contributions.

Cultivators could watch the scenes of the exchange at any time and place through it.

Moreover, they could repeatedly play the scenes of the competition between the two sides. More importantly, the mirror would synchronize with the commentary from the Tianxuan Mirror in real-time to prevent lower-level cultivators from being confused by what they were watching.

The "Tianling Observation Mirror" was introduced and immediately triggered a frenzy among cultivators.

In addition to its low price, cultivators didn't want to miss this rare event. There was also the reason that some cultivators wanted to collect it.

Because, according to the stories of older cultivators, during the first friendly exchange event, the Immortal Alliance had also introduced such an observation mirror.

At that time, it didn't attract much attention because information about the exchange event could also be easily found in the Tianxuan Mirror.

So only some wealthy cultivators bought it.

But no one expected that after the competition ended, this observation mirror became a rare item. Its value was not just about its craftsmanship, but more crucially, the recorded images of the victories of the young talents.

In the first exchange event, the representatives of both sides became prominent figures in their respective organizations in the future.

Almost all of them became powerful cultivators at the Unity Realm.

Whether it was their candid discussions or their battles, for low-level cultivators, watching and speculating repeatedly was highly beneficial.

Even those with clever minds used the observation mirror, which recorded images of the victories of these young talents, as a gift to present to the parties involved to gain favor.

In addition, over the years, due to the fall of many cultivators, the number of observation mirrors left in the world had continuously decreased. Now, it had reached a point where it was extremely difficult to find one.

With this precedent, it was no wonder that the "Tianling Observation Mirror" this time would be extremely popular.

Naturally, Li Fan bought one for a hundred contribution points.

After getting it, Li Fan found that the craftsmanship of this observation mirror was a bit rough, not to mention comparing it with the Tianxuan Small Mirror; it wasn't even as good as an ordinary bronze mirror for mortals. It was basically a stone polished into shape.

"Could it be outsourced again?"

"Selling for a hundred contribution points, I wonder how much it cost. Although the unit price is not high, how many cultivators are there in the entire Immortal Alliance..."

"I wonder who profited from this."

Li Fan murmured in his mind and put it away.

Taking advantage of the lively discussion of the cultivators on the island about the exchange event, he quietly returned to the Island of Body Transformation.

During these days, Liu San and the others hadn't stopped for a moment, and they had used up all the prepared materials.

A total of twenty-eight Longevity Pills were successfully refined, with the quality mostly fluctuating within an extension of two hundred years.

When Liu San handed over the pills, he looked ashamed. "I've let the Young Master down. Perhaps it's the influence of incompatible cultivation methods; the purity of my Longevity Green Essence is much lower than expected. Even after the purification of the Ninety-Nine Little Medicine King Cauldron, it's still the case."

"I actually only refined pills of this quality..."

"If the Old Patriarch were still alive, who knows how he would mock me." Liu San felt a bit sentimental.

Li Fan comforted him, "Liu lao, there's no need to blame yourself. With the changes in the world, without reaching the Unity Realm, you ultimately can't resist. Moreover, I've inquired about the market. These Longevity Pills are enough for now. Releasing too high-quality pills at once wouldn't be good."

As he spoke, Li Fan handed over a storage ring.

"Regarding the whereabouts of the Longevity Valley, I also have some information. Perhaps it is among the several locations marked on the map."

"Although they are all within the White Mist Barrier, there is a magical treasure in the ring called the Universal Virtue True Boat. Lao Liu, if you control this boat, you should be able to eliminate the influence of the White Mist Elemental Devouring."

Upon hearing this, Liu San showed a hint of joy.

"Within the Longevity Valley, the environment is unique, slightly different from the outside. If you can refine pills inside, the quality might be even better."

Li Fan nodded, "In that case, I'll leave this matter to Old Liu. Currently, there is an ongoing friendly exchange event in the outside world, attracting attention worldwide. It's a good opportunity, so I'll trouble Old Liu to make a trip."

"Still, prioritize your safety above all else. The revival of our Medicine King Sect relies heavily on you!"

Faced with Li Fan's sincere advice, Liu San was deeply moved.

"I won't fail the trust of Young Master."

After saying that, after becoming familiar with the Universal Virtue True Boat, he transformed into a streak of light and headed towards the designated location on the map.

"I hope he has a smooth journey and can find the Longevity Valley."

"I can't stay in the Cloudmist Sea any longer."

Li Fan arrived above the Island of Body Transformation, looked up at the sky, squinted his eyes, and felt the gradually emerging faint killing intent in the world.

The killing intent of heaven and earth blended into everything, almost imperceptibly.

It was not closely related to one's cultivation level but more related to the individual's specific understanding. Li Fan, who harbored an unfathomable killing intent, could use it like a tool, so he was particularly sensitive to it.

"The killing intent in this life is fierce. It seems stronger than the previous lives."

"Is it because the Heavenly Physicians have collectively appeared in the world?"

Li Fan frowned secretly, making plans to withdraw.

He arrived on the island and took Tianyang to a secret room.

"Junior brother, there is now an opportunity to advance to the Unity Realm. I wonder if you are willing."

Initially, Tianyang tilted his head, not quite understanding Li Fan's words.

It wasn't until Li Fan repeated it again that he straightened his body. Even the puppet's face showed a hint of solemnity.

"You also know that crisis and opportunity coexist in the world."

"The chance of success is not great. But it is very dangerous, and you may die completely."

"Even so, are you willing?"

Li Fan's face showed a hint of gentleness as he patiently asked.

Without hesitating for too long, intermittent mechanical sounds came from Tianyang.

"Tianyang's life."

"Not weaker than others!"

Even though Li Fan had already known Tianyang's answer, hearing it from his own mouth still made him somewhat emotional.

"Good! In that case, I will do my best to help you!" Li Fan said in a deep voice.

The "Heaven and Earth Qi Deviation Die" suddenly appeared in his hand. After a whirl, Li Fan felt a faint sensation in his mind.

"In about another year or so..."

"That should be enough."

With Tianyang, Li Fan arrived at the depths of the Cloudmist Sea.

One after another, precious materials were taken out by Li Fan from his own Heavenly Cave.

He was going to strengthen Tianyang's body again.

At any cost.

Among them, there were even some Eternal Calamity Essence, which could still exist in the "Five Elements Returning to One."

"I want to see if the Ink Kill can really erase everything!"

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 625: Martial Contest in Tianling

At the convergence of several important meridians under the depths of the Cloudmist Sea, the force of the meridians surged, appearing more turbulent than before. Utilizing this power, Li Fan set up the Earth-Fire Returning to Origin Formation and placed the quiet Tianyang in the center of the formation. He then successively added various materials such as "Eternal Calamity Essence," "Bright Sky Crystal," and "Purple Spirit Crystal Marrow" into the formation.

Like a massive furnace, under the scorching light of the earth fire, these materials slowly fused with Tianyang's puppet body.

During the countless years of Tianyang's deep sleep, it was this formation that allowed him to break through his limits from the mere Foundation Establishment realm to eventually become an Immortal Lord at the Nascent Divinity realm.

However, as the School of Body Transformation was a relatively insignificant sect back then, even with Tianyang inheriting all of its legacy, their financial resources were limited. After thousands of years, reaching the realm of Nascent Divinity was already his limit.

Moreover, the strength of the puppet's body was constrained by the innate limitations of the materials, with a not-so-high upper limit. While it was acceptable when contending with others at the same realm, it was extremely challenging to match up to true geniuses across realms.

However, with Li Fan's assistance now, everything was bound to change completely. With so many treasures poured in, even if only a simple puppet was created, it would be enough to compete with ordinary Unity Realm cultivators.

Coupled with Tianyang's indomitable spirit, it might not be impossible for him to survive against the ultimate existence like the Ink Kill, who represented the pinnacle of the heavens and earth.

Li Fan's pupils reflected the radiant light of the Earth-Fire Returning to Origin Formation. After observing for several days, he found that the progress was a bit slower than expected.

"Junior brother, let senior brother give you a boost."

Saying that, batches of high-grade spirit stones containing vast amounts of pure spiritual energy were thrown into the formation by Li Fan.

Like dry firewood meeting a fierce blaze, or a fierce fire encountering an eastern wind, the efficiency of the Earth-Fire Returning to Origin Formation instantly doubled and more.

Li Fan focused on Tianyang in the formation, his gaze deep.

---

Ten days passed in a hurry.

Soon, the friendly exchange event in Tianlingzhou began.

To prevent any unexpected situations, the entire Tianlingzhou was sealed off, and even all teleportation arrays were disabled, preventing outsiders from disturbing the event.

Therefore, the opening ceremony and the mutual display of "World-Sealing Supreme Artifacts" were not witnessed by ordinary cultivators.

The so-called "World-Sealing Supreme Artifacts" were the collective term used by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Council for powerful treasures that could influence the course of war between the two sides. According to rumors, both sides displayed one such artifact each, and those who had seen them were shocked by the terrifying power they could unleash. However, due to confidentiality requirements, the specific effects of these two artifacts could not be disclosed, leaving everyone curious.

After the opening ceremony, on the second day, the much-anticipated competition stage officially began.

Dao, martial arts, artifacts, formations, pills, and talismans—each day, only one category of competition was held, and both the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Council sent three outstanding geniuses to compete.

The first to take place was also the most eye-catching—the Martial Arts Contest.

At this moment, countless cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, through the Tianling Observation Mirror, saw the first representative entering the stage.

Judging by appearance, a teenager of about ten years old, whose gender was indistinguishable. Wearing white clothes and a red ribbon tied around the head, the youth looked extraordinarily handsome.

Corresponding information promptly appeared on the observation mirror.

"Sixth Martial."

This was the name of the youth before them.

For a moment, the cultivators were in an uproar, and the representative delegation from the Five Elders Council also had unsightly expressions.

"What does this mean? In such an important occasion, they sent a little kid up?"

"Are you truly mocking the Five Elders Council, saying we have no one?"

...

All the cultivators present were extraordinary in their cultivation, and naturally, they could see that the youth named Sixth Martial was not an adult maintaining a childlike appearance but indeed someone who looked like they hadn't reached ten years of age.

Even if he were a genius, having lived such a short time, how strong could he be?

The cultivators from the Five Elders Council had extremely gloomy expressions. Immediately, a young swordsman emerged, expressing his indignation and killing intent.

"Gu Zhi, don't be careless!"

Among the cultivators of the Five Elders Council, a middle-aged woman who seemed no different from a village woman shouted.

This middle-aged woman seemed to have a very special identity, and a young man named Xu Guzhi nodded solemnly.

Afterwards, he floated in front of Sixth Martial.

"Please instruct me!" Xu Guzhi squinted his eyes, and a sword pointed directly at Sixth Martial.

A great battle was about to break out. The cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance also saw the introduction of the two.

Both were at the pinnacle of Nascent Divinity, with Sixth Martial being nine years old, and Xu Guzhi being fifty-six years old.

Witnessing this scene, cultivators from all over the world were shocked.

"A nine-year-old Nascent Divinity? Am I seeing it correctly?"

"Even if he started cultivating from the womb, it wouldn't be possible so quickly!"

"Is this real? Is Sixth Martial the fastest cultivator in history? How did he achieve this?"

"Thinking that I'm already three hundred and seventy-eight years old, and still lingering in the Yuanying realm. The gap between people is truly despair-inducing."

"Hehe, you're already in the Yuanying realm. What did my little Foundation Establishment cultivator say?"

...

Before the competition even began, it ignited discussions among cultivators, speculating on Sixth Martial's origin.

Even Li Fan, with a hint of astonishment and surprise in his eyes, couldn't help but be impressed. A nine-year-old Nascent Divinity was indeed beyond common sense.

"Could it be a reincarnation and re-cultivation method like Senior Brother Zhang's? Or perhaps the seizing and rebirth technique of the Xuantian Sect's Law King?"

"Or maybe..."

While Li Fan was guessing, Xu Guzhi made a move.

Swinging his sword, a huge sword shadow instantly transformed from the sky and pressed down.

"Thousand Swords Unbroken, extending like a mountain."

In the observation mirror, a commentary appeared in sync.

Countless giant swords descended from all directions, overwhelmingly pressing toward Sixth Martial.

Without any earth-shattering sounds, only a skillfully continuous display of sword shadows, resembling mountains, brought an unparalleled sense of oppression.

Surrounded by the swords, Sixth Martial seemed stunned, motionless and at a loss.

The hearts of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators were as if tightly grabbed in an instant.

Just as countless giant swords were about to descend upon him, Sixth Martial made a move.

A silver dragon, thunderously appearing, illuminated the heavens and the earth.

Swiftly passing through the encircling giant swords.

Before all the cultivators could react, it pierced through Xu Guzhi's chest.

(End of this chapter)