Chapter 261: Zhenghao's Ambition

During this period, the "Body of Tribulation" used to accommodate the feedback cultivation from the "Sitting Mountain Art" had reached a state of being half real and half virtual. If quantified, it was roughly equivalent to half of Li Fan's cultivation at the Perfect Foundation Building stage.

With He Zhenghao's breakthrough to the Golden Core, Li Fan received the largest return on investment since practicing the "Sitting Mountain Art." The quantity exceeded Li Fan's expectations. The virtual shadow of the Body of Tribulation instantly turned from virtual to real, and the stored cultivation became solid after reaching the Perfect Foundation Building stage.

A vivid figure, with clear facial features, sat in Li Fan's dantian.

Li Fan suddenly felt that the amount of cultivation the Body of Tribulation could absorb had reached its limit.

Just as he felt somewhat regretful, thinking that the remaining feedback cultivation would go to waste, a second Body of Tribulation suddenly appeared. It finally stopped when it was one-third full.

"It's worthy of being a Four-Technique Golden Core; it can bring such a significant cultivation benefit!"

Li Fan was secretly surprised.

After careful sensing, Li Fan also had some enlightenment. "In addition to the extraordinary power of the Four-Technique Golden Core, the myriad connections between He Zhenghao and me are also an important reason for such a rich harvest of cultivation."

"One is because of the Crossing Tribulation method. The other is because of my actions, which prevented He Zhenghao from falling, a kind of life-saving."

"Add to that his successful breakthrough and my diligent protection on the side..."

"All these factors contributed to the current effect after his breakthrough."

"If it were just the Crossing Tribulation method, breaking through to the Golden Core wouldn't have yielded so much."

As thoughts flowed, the turbulent fluctuations on He Zhenghao's side gradually calmed down.

With a restrained breath, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Congratulations, fellow daoist, on achieving the Four-Technique Golden Core. From now on, your future is boundless!" Li Fan said with a smile.

He Zhenghao laughed heartily, dispelling all the previous suppressed emotions in his chest.

Then he said seriously, "Those close to oneself know oneself best. I can form the core, and your contribution, fellow daoist, occupies at least half of it."

"Although I have formed the Golden Core now, fellow daoist is not far from a breakthrough either. It's just a step ahead."

"Shall we continue our previous relationship, fellow daoist?"

He Zhenghao gave a lot of face, and Li Fan was very satisfied.

The two of them exchanged compliments for a while. During the casual conversation, they discussed the palace group that had risen earlier.

He Zhenghao frowned and said, "When I was breaking through, I originally planned to form the core with three techniques. But when I sensed the underwater three faults with the formation diagram, I inexplicably felt that there seemed to be something hidden beneath the seabed."

"It even seemed to resonate remotely with my Hidden Abyss Technique, connected in some way."

"I thought it might be some treasure, but I didn't expect it to be an entire relic."

Li Fan joined in at this point, "This relic's origin is unknown. When you broke through, it changed into an ordinary cave mansion size and flew away to the east."

"How about it, fellow daoist, are you interested in this relic?"

He Zhenghao shook his head, "To say I'm not interested would be false. Unfortunately, even with my current cultivation, thinking back to the scene where I confronted it head-on just now, a sense of danger emerges in my heart."

"There are many opportunities in the world, and there's no need to seize every one you encounter."

"Let it go!"

Li Fan nodded, "Fellow daoist makes sense."

But he secretly thought that with the presence of a daughter, He Zhenghao had become much more cautious. If it were before, when he was alone, he might have had thoughts of exploring.

They didn't dwell on this topic any longer.

"What are your plans for the future, fellow daoist?" After advancing to the Golden Core, there would naturally be adjustments to Li Fan's professional position within the Immortal Alliance. So Li Fan asked.

He Zhenghao hesitated for a moment before answering, "If possible, I want to use this opportunity to move towards Tianyu Province. Of course, Tianyu Province is the central hinterland of the Immortal Alliance. It's unrealistic for me to parachute directly there even with my Four-Technique Golden Core."

"But we can plan slowly, using other provinces as a stepping stone. Wait until the next breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage to see if there's an opportunity."

"In any case, let's leave this remote Cloudmist Sea first."

Upon hearing this, Li Fan's heart stirred.

He Zhenhao escaped the calamity that was supposed to strike him, and after recognizing his daughter and breaking through the realm, even his own destiny underwent an inexplicable change.

Through a stroke of luck, the idea of leaving the Congyun Sea arose in his mind.

Looking at it this way, even if Li Fan didn't intervene, he could still escape the calamity of the Crimson Flame Burning Sea.

"This is surviving a great disaster; there must be good fortune afterward."

"It seems that heroes indeed have a tough time dealing with the affairs of beauties!" Why He Zhenhao was so determined to return to Tianyu Prefecture, Li Fan naturally understood. He joked about it.

"Friend, feel free to do what you need to do. If you need contributions to establish connections, don't hesitate to ask." Li Fan smiled and assured him.

Upon hearing this, He Zhenhao's face lit up with joy. He knew that Li Fan had earned a substantial amount during the incident with the Spirit Mist Grass, making him wealthy and generous.

"With my previous connections and the foundation of the Four-Fold Golden Pill, along with using enough contributions to pave the way, this time, I might be able to seek an unexpectedly good position." He secretly thought.

"Maybe in the future, there's no need to go to Shilin Prefecture. After all, I'm not familiar with the place. Let's see if I can catch a ride on Friend He's good fortune."

"Let's observe for now." Li Fan thought in his heart.

The two returned with their own thoughts.

He Zhenhao first went back to Luli Island to stabilize his cultivation.

Li Fan, on the other hand, returned to the Tianxuan Mirror.

The news of the underwater palace appearing in the mortal realm had gradually spread, and many cultivators flew over, attempting to seek opportunities.

However, by the time the building complex appeared in the sight of the onlookers, it had already diminished in size.

So, it seemed small, and the number of cultivators willing to pursue it wasn't large.

If nothing unexpected happened, this incident would soon be forgotten after the disappearance of dozens of cultivators.

However...

Li Fan still wanted the cultivators to explore and figure out the secrets within the ruin for him.

How could he allow such a thing to happen?

So, he decided to ignite a spark.

In the Tianxuan Realm, assuming the role of an eyewitness, he narrated the event of the ruin appearing in the mortal realm.

Before long, it caused a sensation.

It's worth noting that ancient cultivator caves and ancient sect ruins are two entirely different concepts.

Cultivator caves generally had a limited number of techniques and treasures.

However, ancient sect ruins, especially those that had been sealed for countless years, were different.

The number of opportunities inside was hard to estimate.

The prosperity of the ancient cultivation world had deeply penetrated people's hearts.

Obtaining a technique at random would be a significant gain.

Moreover, according to Li Fan's description, the building complex spanning hundreds of miles didn't seem like the lair of an unknown weak sect.

So, the enthusiasm of the cultivators was quickly aroused.