Li Fan didn’t rush to rescue the girl who was being tortured by pain.
Instead, he slowly comprehended the authority belonging to him as the master by sensing everything happening to Lu Xuejing.
“Mmm… I can vaguely sense the scenes around her body. I can even speak directly in her mind, issuing commands.”
“In this case, the communication talisman earlier was redundant, and instead leaves a loophole.”
“It’s better to take it back.”
Li Fan, calm and composed, slowly flew to Lu Xuejing’s side.
After enduring prolonged agony, her beautiful face had turned as pale as a sheet of paper.
Her entire body seemed as if it had just been fished out of water, drenched in sweat.
Her exquisite figure was faintly visible beneath her wet, transparent clothing.
Li Fan held her trembling body firmly, circulating his spiritual energy within her body.
The other party’s body seemed to be completely defenseless against him.
In the blink of an eye, Li Fan completed his exploration.
There were no more secrets left to reveal in Li Fan’s eyes.
When Li Fan saw the Foundation Treasure in Lu Xuejing’s dantian, he couldn’t help but sigh.
A vast, snowy plain.
Many miniature cities and villages were even faintly visible.
A piece of information suddenly appeared in his mind.
“Earthly Treasure: Winter Crystal.”
“As expected of a top-tier second generation cultivator of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, being able to establish a foundation at twenty-three years old and possessing an Earthly Treasure that complements both her physique and cultivation technique.”
“Her life’s starting point is an existence that ordinary cultivators cannot hope to reach even in a lifetime.”
“Unfortunately, she’s not very bright…”
Li Fan’s gaze was ice-cold, devoid of any pity.
Li Fan continued his examination.
“There’s only pure spiritual energy inside her body, without any other foreign energies. There are no traces of formations or restrictions…”
“The source of this pain…”
“It’s as if it directly modified the body’s underlying settings through the origin.”
“Without the master, the foundation necessary for sustaining life is lost.”
“This kind of means is beyond comprehension.”
While he was silently sighing, Lu Xuejing, who had been tormented for a long time, grew weaker and weaker on the brink of death.
She struggled less and less, and her childlike eyes began to lose focus.
“Master… save me,” Lu Xuejing’s voice suddenly sounded in Li Fan’s mind.
It was at this moment, perhaps driven by her survival instinct, that she finally gave in completely to Li Fan.
Li Fan smiled faintly, lightly stroking her head with his right hand.
“Huh!”
Lu Xuejing’s body suddenly arched, as if she could finally breathe freely, gasping heavily.
At the same time, perhaps due to the aftermath of the prolonged agony, her body quickly fell again and began convulsing irregularly.
Li Fan never released his hand.
After an unknown amount of time, Lu Xuejing gradually returned to normal.
Her body and mind had reached the limit they could endure, and she fell into a deep sleep.
“Too young and naive. If she goes back like this, even if it’s a matter of life and death, she will probably expose flaws.”
“Further guidance is needed.”
Li Fan looked at Lu Xuejing, who was unconscious with a tinge of redness on her face, withdrew his right hand, and gently pointed towards her forehead.
Cloud Water Illusory Dream Art, unleashed!
With his advancement to the Golden Core stage, there was a qualitative leap in Li Fan’s spiritual strength, and the dreams he weaved became increasingly real.
In a cycle of unending dreams, Li Fan, in the role of the master, guided Lu Xuejing to deal with various possible situations upon her return.
In these dreams woven primarily from Lu Xuejing’s memories, Li Fan also gained a rough understanding of her mother, Lu Xichan.
She was extremely dominant, with a strong desire for control.
She had long set the path of cultivation for Lu Xuejing.
She was busy with official duties, so her main body couldn’t accompany her child at all times.
Often, she only left behind a clone to oversee.
She was unyielding, showing no emotional communication with the child.
“If I hadn’t intervened, the child would have almost been ruined,” Li Fan sighed to himself.
…
When the sun set again, Lu Xuejing finally woke up from the endless dreams.
The confusion in her eyes gradually dissipated, and the moment she saw Li Fan, she instinctively called out, “Master…”
But soon, she realized something was wrong.
A hint of panic flashed in her eyes, but her body had already acted instinctively.
Combined with the recent pain akin to being in purgatory still fresh in her mind, Lu Xuejing couldn’t muster the courage to resist.
She hesitated for a moment, then flipped over and gracefully knelt down to Li Fan, touching her forehead to the ground.
Without Li Fan’s command, she didn’t dare to move.
“You may go, patiently cultivate and await my orders,” Li Fan finally spoke after a long time.
“I understand, Master.” Lu Xuejing bowed her head again.
Then she got up and flew away, showing no signs of panic in her movements, and her face regained its previous proud expression.
“With Lu Xuejing’s cooperation, my chances of entering the Five Element Subworlds have increased significantly. Whether I can succeed depends on how things develop.”
“However, preparations still need to be made.”
Watching Lu Xuejing disappear, after a moment, Li Fan’s body also turned into streaks of light and returned to Tianyu City.
Before cultivating, Li Fan searched for information about Guan Xingxiu, the commander of the Tianyu Province Garrison Courtyard.
When Ji Hongdao uncharacteristically let him leave earlier, he had said not to worry about any accidents happening.
At that time, Li Fan had a premonition that the commander’s fate might not be good.
At first glance, it was true.
First, he was dismissed and investigated.
Then, a conclusion was quickly reached: he was stripped of a major realm of cultivation and exiled to the remote Lanlin Province in the south.
The punishment was severe.
In addition to Guan Xingxiu, two other commanders were also severely punished.
Although it wasn’t as cruel as stripping away cultivation, they were also transferred from their positions and had no chance of becoming the overall Chief Commander of the Garrison Courtyard.
“This is an aggressive method to inform those below that the determination to build the Tianxuan Spirit Lock Formation is firm.”
“Whether you’re wrongly accused or the person behind the conspiracy, as long as you’re involved in this matter, you’ll be severely punished.”
“For the sake of contending for the position of Chief Commander, using some conspiracies is acceptable.”
“But hindering the progress of the Tianxuan Spirit Lock Formation construction is not acceptable.”
“…”
“With the unexpected withdrawal of the three candidates, the next inheritor of the position of Chief Commander has been basically determined.”
“He was originally the least favored, didn’t even take the election seriously before, and could be said to have won without a fight…”
“From Tianyun Province, Lu Junyi.”
“Tianyun Province…”
Thinking of He Zhenghao, who was currently working in the Tianyun Province Garrison Courtyard, it seemed that one person’s success could lift others to heaven.
Li Fan wondered if He Zhenghao would gain anything from this.