Chapter 556-560: Repeated Encounters with Opportunities (6k+ words)

Returning to the present, Kang Village suffered heavy casualties.

Si, who was secretly observing, was furious.

He never expected that Han Yi could truly summon celestial phenomena like a god.

Not only did the plan to kill Han Yi fail, but also his beloved Zhu Village, where he had lived since childhood, was almost destroyed in this catastrophe.

Many familiar faces had turned into broken and charred corpses.

Anger, jealousy, resentment...

Various emotions surged in Si's heart, ultimately transforming into a single voice.

"Kill him! Kill him!"

In the vast night, Han Yi had completely disappeared.

However, Si, who had been the high priest for decades, had means to connect with the gods that were not false.

Although the fluctuations on Han Yi were slightly different from those of the god he worshiped, Si followed the residual waves in the air and finally caught up with Han Yi.

"Die! So-called gods shouldn't appear on the earth!"

Si's face twisted in a ferocious expression as he spoke the suppressed words in his heart.

As he continuously chanted, Han Yi was astonished to find that the wind in the air was continuously gathering in Si's hands.

Compressed to the extreme, it instantly shot towards Han Yi.

"So, heavenly destiny can be used like this?"

Han Yi was both surprised and delighted.

Even though another wound had been cut on his body, Han Yi's eyes were getting brighter.

He dodged while sensing and learning Si's method of manipulating wind blades.

Until he was covered in blood and on the brink of death, he finally succeeded in attempting.

Summoning the wind blade for the first time, its color was deeper than the one Si used.

The momentum was also more majestic.

Cutting through the air with a whistling sound, even after breaking Si's wind blades, it continued its momentum.

In the opponent's astonished and unwilling eyes, it pierced through his body, completing the counterattack.

Han Yi, covered in injuries, sighed in relief and fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke up, he found that his injuries had fully recovered in just one night.

Unable to find the reason, Han Yi didn't delve into it.

He continued to escape to uninhabited places in the wilderness.

But soon, he discovered that everywhere there were squads searching for him.

The scene of the meteor falling that night was too spectacular to be concealed.

The destruction of one village and the severe damage to another couldn't be kept secret.

So, the rumor of the "god descending" spread quickly in the wilderness.

Regardless of whether Han Yi's divine identity was true or false.

His ability to control the weather and bring down stars was undoubtedly real.

If he could be controlled, achieving the ambition of ruling the wilderness was no longer a dream in terms of law and strength.

For the ambition of becoming the "Emperor," almost every tribe launched a pursuit against Han Yi.

With a purely human appearance in a wilderness full of magical beasts, he was too conspicuous.

Impossible to conceal.

To save his own life, Han Yi had to keep fleeing.

Fortunately, with the protection of heavenly destiny, his sense of crisis was very keen.

Since the battle with Si, in addition to the wind blade, Han Yi had also comprehended the art of wind control.

Although not as fast as the flying techniques of cultivators, it was much faster than simply walking on two feet.

Therefore, although Han Yi was pursued in a somewhat embarrassed manner, he was never caught.

---

"Wind, water, fire, lightning..."

"All part of the world. With the help of heavenly destiny, I can control these energies. Using them to kill enemies is not a problem."

"According to the 'Heavenly Destiny Scripture,' the original cultivators seemed to have this appearance. They prayed for the authority of the heavens, manipulating all things."

"At that time, they seemed to call themselves 'Wizards.'"

Accustomed to the days of hiding and wandering in the wilderness, not knowing how much time had passed.

One day, Han Yi lay in a newly dug hole, muttering to himself.

His fingertips flickered with a faint flame, illuminating the dark space around him.

Even though this world lacked spiritual energy, he seemed to accomplish things that only cultivators could do.

"If I completely integrate the shattered heavenly destiny of this world, the power I can display here will be comparable to the Eternal Heaven Sovereign in the Profound Yellow Realm."

Eyes filled with longing, Han Yi, who had rekindled hope for the future, suddenly felt the ground shaking.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Thunderous footsteps came from a distance, getting louder, as if approaching.

Han Yi's face changed slightly, and a sense of crisis surged in his heart.

Cursing inwardly, Han Yi emerged from the earth, quickly identified the direction, and ran with the wind.

Behind him, in hot pursuit, was a white elephant the size of a mountain.

The white elephant was massive, but its speed was not slow at all.

Ignoring all obstacles on the road, it ran towards Han Yi with all four legs.

Han Yi's wind control technique, pushed to the limit, couldn't shake off the white elephant.

The chase between the two also attracted the attention of surrounding beasts.

They quickly spotted Han Yi's figure and joined the pursuit.

As more and more beasts gathered, Han Yi's available space for movement kept shrinking.

Feeling trapped, Han Yi's eyes flashed with a hint of fierceness.

During this time, the heavenly destiny he had absorbed had reached a considerable level.

If he erupted with all of it, it would be enough to cause a disaster on the scale of an avalanche, burying all these damn creatures.

But in doing so, all his efforts would be in vain, and he would suffer a backlash, severely injuring himself.

Just as Han Yi was hesitating, he suddenly felt a faint spiritual power fluctuation around him.

Although weak, Han Yi, who had not been nourished by spiritual energy for a long time, would not make a mistake.

Having spiritual energy meant being able to cast spells.

Even the weakest Qi Refining stage technique was not something these beasts, relying solely on their physical strength, could compare with!

Overjoyed, Han Yi immediately followed the direction of the sensed spiritual energy and rushed forward.

Finally, he stopped in a deep ravine.

"Is this...?"

Feeling the faint flow of spiritual energy below, which stopped outside the deep ravine, Han Yi was ecstatic.

"Could this be a passage to the Profound Yellow Realm?"

Since coming to this small world, Han Yi had been constantly thinking about returning to the Profound Yellow Realm.

But he searched around Zhu Village and couldn't find the passage he came through.

This small world was quite vast, and with his strength alone, finding a way back was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Unexpectedly, in the face of desperation today, by chance, he actually found the way back.

"Indeed, fortune favors the bold!"

Han Yi looked back at the group of beasts chasing after him.

He sneered in his heart, "When I return after successful cultivation and ample preparation, I will settle the score with you all!"

Thinking this, Han Yi plunged into the deep ravine below.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 557: Hard to Escape the Palm of the Hand

Han Yi, who originally thought he had escaped from the world, had no idea that there were still monsters living in the deep ravine below with flowing spiritual energy. They were different from the creatures in the small world, capable of absorbing and cultivating spiritual energy.

White snakes, flying kites, double-headed monkeys...

They resembled traditional monster images from ancient times.

Han Yi, caught off guard, plunged into the group of monsters unexpectedly.

Fortunately, these monsters lived in seclusion in the deep ravine, isolated from the world all year round, and had never seen humans.

While Han Yi was scared out of his wits, many of them were equally terrified and fled.

However, the remaining ones were not so easy to deal with.

Seeing their homeland invaded by unfamiliar creatures, their aggressive instincts were triggered, and they attacked Han Yi without hesitation.

Han Yi deeply inhaled spiritual energy, cast a protective spell on himself, condensed the energy into a sword, and swung it at the group of monsters.

Blood sprayed like mist, and in an instant, more than ten monsters were beheaded.

But the smell of blood made them even more frenzied.

Fearless and undeterred, they surged like a tide.

In the distance, it seemed there were countless monsters continuously rushing towards this location.

Han Yi knew he couldn't stay here for long, so he fought while retreating, heading deeper into the ravine.

The closer he got to the bottom of the ravine, the more abundant the spiritual energy became.

Han Yi could better unleash his original Qi Refining complete strength.

However, correspondingly, the strength of the monsters dwelling here became more formidable.

Gritting his teeth, Han Yi used all his skills and finally carved out a path through the crowd of monsters.

Through a seemingly chaotic and obscure hole at the bottom of the ravine, he safely returned to the Profound Yellow Realm.

Breathing in the familiar and sweet air, Han Yi, still trembling with fear, didn't have time to rest.

But he felt an inexplicable sense of danger, as if being locked onto and observed. His heart pounded uncontrollably.

Already a frightened bird, Han Yi, despite his injuries, hastily fled once again.

It took a long time for the faint uneasiness in his heart to slowly fade away.

Exhausted both physically and mentally, Han Yi found a deserted island nearby.

Just as he landed, he couldn't hold on any longer and fainted.

---

Back to the present.

Using the Cloud and Water Illusionary Dream technique to thoroughly understand Han Yi's experiences over the past few years, Li Fan, with a slightly interested look in his eyes, said, "This kid's experiences are truly colorful."

"Life and death crises that ordinary cultivators may not encounter in their entire lives, he encounters them with every adventure."

"Normally, if he were an ordinary person, he would have died countless times."

"But every time, he narrowly escapes death."

"The 'Heavenly Destiny Scripture,' the Feather of the Profound Bird. Is this your reliance?"

Looking at the peacefully sleeping Han Yi, Li Fan touched his chin.

"Harm leans on fortune, fortune conceals harm. No wonder you could achieve the Fish Head Prize in your last life, receive the Blue Feather Treasure dropped from the sky, and produce the Tian Du Transformation Pill. With such a counter-natural luck, you repeatedly suffered setbacks when exploring ruins with my clone."

Li Fan paused and smiled slightly.

"Actually, what you said is not wrong. With the cultivation of Qi Refining completion, within a dozen years, directly entering the Golden Core realm. After that, obtaining a true method suitable for yourself from Yan Fa Jue and then..."

"Indeed, you could be called 'a flying dragon in the sky, unstoppable.'"

"Unfortunately, you encountered me."

Li Fan's eyes showed no emotion, extremely cold.

With a light point of his finger, he touched Han Yi's brow.

"In this life, the trajectory of your fate will follow my plan."

After guiding Han Yi through certain scenes in the form of illusions during his sleep, Li Fan retracted his supernatural power.

"The 'Heavenly Destiny Scripture,' quite interesting," Li Fan remarked. "But for now, I'll leave it with you."

With a profound gaze, Li Fan once again scanned Han Yi's face, and his figure gradually disappeared.

After a long time, Han Yi slowly woke up.

"Ugh..."

"It seems like I had a dream. I'm recalling those annoying things from that small world." Feeling a faint headache in his mind, he instinctively pressed his temples with his hands to soothe the pain.

After a while, the pain subsided, and Han Yi let out a sigh of relief.

"I really don't know if I'm lucky or unlucky!"

Lying on the ground, reminiscing about his experiences in this small world, Han Yi couldn't help but feel a mix of anger and amusement.

"It should be the backlash caused by my 'Heavenly Destiny Scripture' not reaching completion."

After pondering for a while, Han Yi seemed to have an epiphany.

"I was lucky to escape with my life from that mysterious person, thanks to the 'Heavenly Destiny Scripture.'"

"But then, I suffered a backlash and was captured by monsters in a confused state."

"Relying on the protection of the 'Heavenly Destiny,' I survived again, only to face the backlash and be chased by Sì."

"Even in a desperate situation, I encountered a glimmer of hope. However, immediately afterward, I faced a life-threatening crisis and was surrounded by monster attacks."

"..."

Han Yi's eyes sparkled, feeling that his thoughts suddenly became clear.

"Fortune and misfortune are intertwined and inseparable."

"If you only seek benefits, it's hard to last. It's only by balancing misfortune with fortune, using destiny in the most crucial moments, that the path is righteous!"

With this realization, a wave of spiritual energy surged from Han Yi.

All directions' spiritual energy was absorbed by him.

Above the deserted island, a faint tornado formed.

In Han Yi's dantian, the black feather of the Profound Bird disintegrated inch by inch, completely merging into his dantian.

This scene indicated that, after the twists and turns of life and death, Han Yi successfully comprehended the Dao upon returning to the Profound Yellow Realm.

He directly achieved the Foundation Establishment.

After many years of seeking without success, he fulfilled his wish in a single morning.

Han Yi felt the grievances in his chest dissipate completely.

Letting out a long howl, he vented the frustration in his heart.

However, the howl lasted only for a moment before Han Yi suddenly stopped.

Subconsciously scanning his surroundings, he saw that there were no sudden crises this time, allowing him to relax a bit.

"Enough, don't be too arrogant."

"It's just a small Foundation Establishment, but my future is already set, and longevity is within reach!"

Han Yi felt quite pleased with himself.

After a while, he pondered again, "Although I have reached Foundation Establishment, all my possessions were already consumed by that Foundation Establishment master."

"I'm truly penniless. I need to figure out a way to gain some contribution points."

Narrowing his eyes, after a moment, he suddenly had an idea.

"I heard about a trick in the Cong Yun Sea called 'Ding Yu,' where lucky individuals can become rich overnight."

"It's tailored for me!"

"Heh, let me demonstrate my skills!"

Thinking like this, Han Yi took off into the sky, flying towards the location of the Ding Yu island that he had seen in his memory.

Han Yi didn't notice that there was always a gaze in the sky, continuously watching him.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 558: Desiring to Enter the Immortal Alliance Again

After watching Han Yi leave, Li Fan turned his gaze to the southwest.

Looking far into the distance, his line of sight seemed to span thousands of miles, reaching a deep trench under the sea.

That was the location where Han Yi appeared after hastily escaping from the small world.

"A small world without ordinary humans, only inhabited by 'beast-kind'..." Li Fan frowned slightly.

Based on Han Yi's memories, Li Fan believed that the creatures in that small world resembled the 'beast-kind' he had encountered several times before, the beings that were half-human and half-beast.

But there were subtle differences.

Even though both combined human and demonic beast elements, the 'beast-kind' had a bit more of the "human" part.

The creatures in the small world Han Li experienced leaned more towards the "demonic beast" side.

This could be inferred from whether their heads were more human-like or beast-like.

What's even more interesting is the legend from that world, as heard by Han Yi.

In the early days, most inhabitants on the wilderness were originally half-human, half-beast in appearance. There were even quite a few purely "human" individuals.

But as time passed, occasionally in the descendants of the residents, highly transformed variations with a higher degree of beastification would appear.

Initially, these variations were considered heretics, being abandoned or even hunted down.

However, as some of these variations stubbornly survived and demonstrated powerful strength, things began to change.

They slaughtered the original villages, migrated to the depths of the wilderness, and established a new order.

There, the higher the degree of beastification, the more revered the individual's status.

With radically different ideologies, conflicts were inevitable.

On the wilderness, the strong were respected. The individually powerful 'beast-kind' clearly surpassed ordinary demonic beasts.

Although initially, they were outnumbered, resulting in back-and-forth battles, over time, their numbers increased, and they began to exhibit crushing combat power in wars.

After bloody slaughter, the opposition naturally disappeared.

Thus, the wilderness became what Han Yi saw, a scene where "beasts are revered, and humans are considered heretics."

"Perhaps it's related to a certain retreat prepared by 'Emperor One' for the demonic beast race. But it seems like His plan failed."

"The bloodline of demonic beasts, once activated, is much stronger than ordinary humans." Li Fan also thought of the deity in that world.

The Destiny Profound Bird.

Although there were other existences in the Profound Bird tribe, when Li Fan saw the statue of the deity, he felt a strange sensation.

This Destiny Profound Bird was the same one that Li Fan had possessed in the Fallen Immortal Realm, the "Little Black" that used to follow Xu Ke.

There wasn't any concrete evidence, perhaps it was just a resonance caused by Li Fan's previous possession.

"Fell as well?"

"Weird."

"Even a mere Azure Luan bird is doing fine. There's no reason a Profound Bird that absorbed the destiny of a small world would fall first."

Li Fan furrowed his brows, puzzled.

After pondering for a while, he let it go.

In the human realm, strength often represented longevity.

But in the demonic beast community, this principle might not always apply.

...

Although Li Fan was very interested in that small world, he knew it wasn't the time to explore it now.

Don't be deceived by the fact that Han Yi is only at the Qi Refining stage and can stir up a storm there without using spiritual power; it's too simple to think that there is no danger in that small world.

After all, with Han Yi manipulating the roaming destinies using the 'Heavenly Destiny Scripture,' he was equivalent to half a son of destiny.

Naturally, he would turn danger into fortune and overcome difficulties.

If Li Fan recklessly entered without using the methods of manipulating destiny, he might encounter some unlucky incidents.

Maybe he would encounter a thousand-year great demon in the depths of the wilderness.

After all, the sense of imminent danger that suddenly emerged in Li Fan's heart when he wanted to follow Han Yi into the deep-sea cave that day was not false.

Before learning the methods of manipulating destiny, Li Fan wouldn't risk entering unknown dangers.

"No harm, anyway, what happened back then will soon be known in the Fallen Immortal Realm."

Li Fan retracted his gaze and headed towards the nearest guarding island.

Before long, he arrived at Chongwu Island.

The guardian of Chongwu Island was named Huang Ranqi, with cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage. As a nominal subordinate, Li Fan knew some basic information about him.

He was petty and meticulous about trivial matters, but utterly confused about significant issues. Constantly making small mistakes and excessively greedy.

He was the perfect candidate.

Li Fan concealed his true cultivation, only displaying the aura of a perfect Foundation Establishment cultivator, and paid a visit.

"How should I address you, fellow Daoist?" Huang Ranqi handed Li Fan a cup of tea, asking amiably with a smiling face.

At this moment, Li Fan had his original appearance, not the appearance of the "Ancient Heavenly Mechanism cultivator," so Huang Ranqi naturally didn't recognize him.

Li Fan cupped his hands, "I am Li Fan."

"Cough..." Huang Ranqi, who was leisurely drinking tea, almost sprayed the water out of his mouth when he heard Li Fan's words.

He coughed a few times to ease his embarrassment.

After a moment, Huang Ranqi asked in astonishment, "You're also called Li Fan?"

Li Fan, with a strange expression, asked curiously, "Why do you say 'also'? What does that mean?"

"Could it be, fellow Daoist also knows another cultivator named Li Fan?" He quickly seemed to react, looking very surprised.

"Hehe, fellow Daoist has been in seclusion for many years, hasn't he? You don't even know the name of the envoy. Hasn't the envoy been informed?" Huang Ranqi squinted his eyes, carefully scrutinizing Li Fan.

"You've guessed it right! Originally, I was just a casual cultivator in Congyun Sea. A few years ago, in order to break through, I went out to find opportunities. Unexpectedly, I mistakenly entered a dangerous small world and got lost. I only recently managed to escape," Li Fan shook his head, looking full of emotion.

As he spoke, he vividly described his experiences in the small world to Huang Ranqi.

"No spiritual energy, but demonic beasts everywhere?" Huang Ranqi was indeed attracted by the strange scenes depicted by Li Fan.

"In such a dangerous place, fellow Daoist could still come back alive; indeed, your fortune is extraordinary," he exclaimed.

Li Fan nodded in agreement, "Fellow Daoist's words are very true. Between life and death, one is most likely to be touched. So, having just returned, I successfully broke through the bottleneck and reached the perfect Foundation Establishment."

"I just said, originally, I was just a casual cultivator. For the so-called 'freedom,' I was unwilling to join the Wanxian Alliance and be busy like a cow or a horse. However, after this perilous experience, I've come to understand. As long as I can live, what freedom, it's not worth mentioning at all!"

Li Fan sincerely said, "So, I'd like to ask fellow Daoist to recommend me!"

After contemplating for a moment and observing Li Fan up and down for a while, Huang Ranqi didn't immediately agree.

"I heard that the situation has been tense recently between the Five Elders and our Wanxian Alliance, with frequent frictions. Fellow Daoist wouldn't happen to be a spy sent by the Five Elders, would you?" Huang Ranqi suddenly asked.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 559: The Blossoming of Spiritual Flowers

Li Fan remained composed, "Fellow Daoist, you jest."

"Just now, from what fellow Daoist said, it seems the newly appointed envoy, the secret envoy named Li Fan, shares the same name as well."

"If I were truly a spy from the Five Elders, why would I choose such a high-profile name, attracting unnecessary attention?" Hearing Li Fan's words, Huang Ranqi felt that there was some reason in his words and nodded slightly.

Li Fan continued, "I've also heard that before joining the alliance, cultivators need to verify their identities. With the extraordinary means of the Immortal Alliance, if there's anything inappropriate about me, it will surely be exposed on the spot. By then, fellow Daoist will be hailed as a hero for exposing a spy."

"In this case, fellow Daoist has nothing to worry about, right?"

After some contemplation, Huang Ranqi was finally convinced by Li Fan.

Taking a step ahead, he applied for a pass for Li Fan to return.

Then, he took Li Fan and used the teleportation array to arrive at the Congyun Immortal City.

Li Fan looked at the floating city in the clouds before him, showing a hint of surprise, "I heard that the Immortal Alliance headquarters in Congyun Sea is supposed to be an island."

"Why is it a floating city now?"

"That's just how things are. If fellow Daoist is interested, you can inquire about it after joining," Huang Ranqi said, unwilling to say more.

Li Fan didn't ask further.

Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of the Tianxuan Mirror.

"This is the Tianxuan Mirror..." Huang Ranqi began to introduce it to Li Fan.

Li Fan pretended to listen attentively, but in reality, he was tense. While quietly activating the "Only Hand Conceals the Sky" technique, he was also prepared to use the "True Return" escape technique.

From the experience of "Assuming the Form of Objects, Crossing the Ages" in the previous life, the improved "Only Hand Conceals the Sky" in the continuous struggle between the Futing Alliance and the Xuan Net was capable of deceiving the perception of the Tianxuan Mirror.

In addition, the "Mystical Transformation of the True Spirit," derived from the Yanfa Jue, was a profound technique that could completely transform various aspects such as aura, fate, flesh, consciousness, and divine soul.

It should not be possible for the Tianxuan Mirror to see through that he was actually the same person as the "Li Fan, the secret envoy of Congyun City."

But nothing is absolute, and caution is required.

Various thoughts flashed through his mind, and Li Fan followed Huang Ranqi into the Tianxuan Mirror.

To Li Fan's relief, the things he was worried about did not happen.

The Tianxuan Mirror did not recognize him as "Li Fan, the secret envoy of Congyun City" but instead gave him a new identity.

The recommendation reward that Huang Ranqi received was also within the range of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

So, he didn't have any suspicions about Li Fan.

After a brief chat, Huang Ranqi bid farewell and left.

Li Fan also rejoined the Wanxian Alliance with his original identity.

"It seems my guess was correct. The Tianxuan Split Mirror, created through 'Empowerment,' is completely incomparable to the original."

"Although part of the reason is that my 'Only Hand Conceals the Sky' technique is ahead of its time, it really is too easy to infiltrate."

"No wonder, in the Wanxian Alliance, there are countless spies from the Five Elders."

Li Fan sighed in his heart.

On the day when the Five Elders attacked the Wanxian Island, the Tianxuan Mirror suddenly lost its effectiveness and turned into a piece of stone.

This incident inspired Li Fan, leading to this bold attempt.

The result was as he expected.

Without staying too long in the Tianxuan Mirror, he used the gifted contribution points to purchase a storage ring.

Li Fan then used the teleportation array to arrive at Tianling Prefecture.

Instead of leaving Tianling City, he quietly waited within the city.

If the Five Elders really attacked the Wuxing Grand Cave, based on the experience of the previous life, there should be a Fusion Dao cultivator who fell in this brutal war.

The signs after the death of a Fusion Dao cultivator are enough to cover the entire province.

Then Li Fan would be able to determine the occurrence of the event for the first time.

Of course, to avoid suspicion, Li Fan didn't just wait; he strolled around in the shops in Tianling City.

"Heavenly Spirit Flowers? Yes, yes, yes, fellow Daoist, come and take a look at these few plants."

Chapter 559: Heavenly Flowers in Bloom

The shopkeeper, upon hearing Li Fan's request, became very enthusiastic. He pointed to several pots of flowers in the shop and eagerly showcased them to Li Fan.

Heavenly Spirit Flowers are a specialty of Tianling Prefecture. Each flower has a unique number of petals. After blooming, each petal displays a special scene—whether it's blue mountain ranges, surging rivers, or heavenly white snow. Each flower gathers beautiful scenery from various places, as if it possesses a divine spirit, making it extremely captivating.

If one were to ask about the usefulness of these flowers—two words: not useful. Perhaps the only purpose is for appreciation. However, the lifespan of these flowers is relatively short. After blooming, they can only maintain their beauty for about seven days. Even when stored in a special wooden box, they can only be preserved for about a month.

Moreover, the trouble is that these flowers are very sensitive to various forces. If accidentally contaminated by spiritual power fluctuations or transported through spatial teleportation, the scenes on the flower petals will be affected. In better cases, they might become slightly blurred, and in severe cases, the scenes on the petals might disappear entirely.

Without the scenes on the petals, Heavenly Spirit Flowers lose their decorative value and become worthless. So, cultivators who like them have to come to Tianling Prefecture in person to see them. Due to this reason, Heavenly Spirit Flowers are rarely seen outside of Tianling Prefecture.

In the previous life, during the Tianling Prefecture War, Heavenly Spirit Flowers were almost extinct. However, people's attention was focused on the unprecedented war at that time, and no one was willing to speculate on its price. It wasn't until after the war, when Tianling Prefecture began to recover, that Heavenly Spirit Flowers slowly flourished again.

However, cultivators then discovered that perhaps because the growing environment had been tainted with too much blood, the scenes on the petals of the Heavenly Spirit Flowers were no longer the beautiful landscapes of the world. Instead, horrifying scenes of cultivators killing each other appeared.

It could be described as a great spoiler.

People reminisced about the once beautiful Heavenly Spirit Flowers, but the scenes on their petals were uncontrollable. Transplanting them to other provinces would cause them to wither immediately. The past glory of Tianling Prefecture vanished completely.

While cultivators lamented the loss, they could do nothing about it. Since then, Heavenly Spirit Flowers have become a thing of the past.

Remembering these anecdotes from the previous life, Li Fan carefully selected a Heavenly Spirit Flower with seventeen petals in the shop.

"This one will do."

"Just one? Fellow Daoist, wouldn't you like to choose more?" The shopkeeper was a bit disappointed.

"No, one is enough," Li Fan smiled.

"Three hundred contribution points." Seeing this, the shopkeeper did not linger and quoted the price.

After Li Fan paid, he carefully received the sealed wooden box handed over by the shopkeeper. The Heavenly Spirit Flower inside the wooden box bloomed beautifully. After special treatment, it could blossom for around thirty days.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 560: The Battle of Heda Starts

However, Li Fan knew a method to completely freeze it.

After the disappearance of Heavenly Spirit Flowers, many originally top-secret methods gradually became known. One such method, called "Hua Jian Ji" (花间集), involved using painting to completely seal Heavenly Spirit Flowers within the artwork.

Originally, Hua Jian Ji was not specifically prepared for Heavenly Spirit Flowers but was intended to portray all the flowers in the world. The author of Hua Jian Ji, Zhao Chong, was an extreme flower enthusiast. He pledged to see every flower in the world and intended to record them all using the art of painting.

However, he was mediocre in the art of painting, and his drawings were vastly different from the real things, considered a "blasphemy against real flowers." Rack his brains as he might, he found a way to directly seal physical objects using the "painting" method.

Although losing some artistic flair, this method produced vivid and lifelike representations. However, in the previous life, Zhao Chong's Hua Jian Ji did not include Heavenly Spirit Flowers. He had heard of the beauty of Heavenly Spirit Flowers and felt that the more beautiful something was, the longer it should be preserved.

He delayed starting until after the Tianling Prefecture War, when the beautiful scenery of Tianling was gone. Only then did he regret not having started earlier, lamenting his remorse to anyone who would listen.

At this moment, Li Fan tucked the wooden box containing the Heavenly Spirit Flower into his arms and continued pretending to browse in the shop. Seeing the shopkeeper's unfriendly gaze, he reluctantly left.

Outside the shop, Li Fan went to the Dao Discussion Tower in the city and rented a house. In the Tianxuan Mirror, he separately purchased three things: "Ice Drop Dew," "Ruo Xiang She," and "Qian Se Juan." Although none of them were precious items, they nearly depleted all the contribution points Li Fan had.

He took out the seventeen-petal Heavenly Spirit Flower and placed it on Qian Se Juan. Then he soaked it in Ice Drop Dew. Seeing the cold air rising from the flower petals, he pressed down Ruo Xiang She.

Following the method described by Zhao Chong from the previous life, Li Fan calmly proceeded. A hundred thousand colorful lights bloomed on Qian Se Juan, and the light passed through the Heavenly Spirit Flower, reflecting on Ruo Xiang She. Connecting them like threads, the frozen Heavenly Spirit Flower, Qian Se Juan, and Ruo Xiang She combined.

The light gradually dimmed, and soon, a thin, transparent "paper" appeared in Li Fan's hand. Although it felt flat to the touch, what his eyes saw was exactly like a real blooming flower.

The scenes on the seventeen petals were vividly visible, and even the entire flower seemed to tremble slightly.

"That's it," Li Fan breathed a sigh of relief.

"The last thing to do is to add a layer of spiritual protection on the outside to prevent malicious destruction."

"No rush."

Li Fan looked at the "artwork" in his hand and knew that it would soon become a unique existence in the entire Xuanhuang Realm. At that time, its value would be immeasurable.

Money is secondary; the main thing is the unique attraction, enough to accomplish things that cannot be done with contribution points alone. Li Fan smiled slightly, satisfied with the spectacle, and then solemnly put it away.

Leaving the Dao Discussion Tower, Li Fan wandered around Tianling City for three days. On this day, sudden exclamations echoed through the city.

"Look at the sky!"

Li Fan raised his head at the sound and finally saw the scene he had been eagerly anticipating: a vast, rolling black swamp, like dark clouds covering the sky. It seemed mighty, but in reality, it was already dry and lifeless.

At the same time, a passage appeared in Li Fan's mind.

"He Dao cultivator Long Jiuyuan cultivated for 286 years, achieving Dao Foundation with 'Red Dragon Molting,' and reaching Core Formation with the four techniques: Hidden Momentum, Soaring Dragon, Breaking Laws, and Death Battle."

"Devoured 'Hundred Abyss Pocket' to form Nascent Soul, extracted 'Heavenly Spirit Will Birth a Thousand Waters' to transform his divine essence."

"Sacrificed 'Black Swamp Soul,' merging his body with the Dao."

"In the land of Tianling Prefecture, severely injured by cultivator Xu Huating."

"Died, Dao extinguished, returning to the Dao!"

"...It really is him," Li Fan's eyes flashed with brilliance.

When a He Dao cultivator falls, a great battle becomes inevitable. Soon, the Wanxian Alliance will issue a mobilization notice, and the borders of various regions will be sealed. Li Fan needs to leave this troubled place before that happens and return to the relatively calm Congyun Sea in the midst of the Tianling Prefecture War.

While other cultivators were still in shock, Li Fan had silently entered the teleportation array.

As Li Fan's figure disappeared completely, various voices emerged within Tianling City.

"Long Jiuyuan? When did he achieve He Dao?"

"Wait! How did he die?!"

"Who is Xu Huating? How can he kill a He Dao cultivator?"

"The most promising descendant of the Long family actually fell like this. This will be interesting."

...

People in Tianling Prefecture, recovering from their shock, uttered incredulous cries. A massive storm was sweeping through the Wanxian Alliance, centered around Tianling Prefecture.

Soon after, in Congyun Sea, He Zhenghao, who was closely watching the prices of the previously purchased goods and trembling with fear at even minor price fluctuations, suddenly heard the clear and mechanical voice of the Tianxuan Mirror.

"From now on, the Wanxian Alliance enters Level B preparation status."

"All regional protective formations are to be activated."

"All cultivators are prohibited from crossing regional boundaries."

"All members of the alliance system, return to the state capital as soon as possible and await further instructions."

"Once foreign cultivators are discovered, execute them on the spot, regardless of life or death."

...

Repeated three times before stopping.

He Zhenghao was first stunned, then his eyes widened, shocked enough to stand up directly.

The Wanxian Alliance is going to war with the Five Elders Guild?

Fear surged in his heart, and He Zhenghao was about to contact Gao Yuan to discuss countermeasures.

But suddenly he thought of something, his expression changed dramatically. He quickly lowered his head and looked at the prices of various items on the Tianxuan Little Mirror.

The reaction of a speculative merchant is always surprisingly keen.

While the majority of cultivators in the Wanxian Alliance were still in shock over the impending war, prices of the items, including Heavenly Essence Pills, Standard Heavenly Gang Armor, Divine Martial Thunder, Hundred Battle Formation Diagram, which Li Fan had ordered He Zhenghao to stockpile, had already started to rise significantly.

Not only these items on the list, but also anything related to self-preservation and combat displayed a general increase in prices on the Tianxuan Mirror.

Because they were aware that with the current reserve of these items, it would not withstand the looting of cultivators.

As the great war approached, who dares to guarantee they won't step onto the battlefield?

Having a bit more protection and preparation means a slightly higher chance of survival.

Compared to life, what does a bit of contribution points matter?

Even if the prices doubled, cultivators would willingly pay the price.

...

In the blink of an eye, He Zhenghao also figured it out.

"The abilities of the Lord are truly unfathomable!"

Looking at the continuously skyrocketing prices, He Zhenghao was both delighted and afraid.

Delighted because the goods he hoarded, worth a hundred million contribution points, had already risen by one-third in such a short time.

Afraid because hoarding goods like this, would he be punished by the alliance?

(End of this chapter)