“This…”
Li Fan’s bold words from his gamble in the Abyss of Roars seemed to still echo in everyone’s ears. But this cultivator, who was brimming with ambition and seemed to have a powerful background, had died so suddenly.
He only had time to leave behind an incomplete letter before he passed away.
Thinking of this, Huangfu Song felt a wave of emotion, followed by a surge of confusion.
“This fellow, doesn’t seem like someone who would die so easily…”
His eyes narrowed as he approached Li Fan’s body.
He carefully examined it once more.
A moment later.
“He’s truly dead.”
Huangfu Song’s face was complex.
“Good thing he’s dead. It saves those above the trouble of figuring out what to do with him.”
His gaze fell upon the storage ring on Li Fan’s hand, and recalling the contents of Li Fan’s transmission, Huangfu Song couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.
“My cultivation journey has spanned a mere hundred years, and I have only met two or three true friends.”
“He Zhenhao is one, Xue Mu is another, and Huangfu Song counts as half.”
“Though my body now lies still, I leave behind a million contribution points, a Transformation Longevity Fruit, and some spirit stones and artifacts.”
“Fellow Daoists may take them as you please.”
…
“This little fellow’s wealth is truly frightening.”
“A million contribution points is fine, but that Transformation Longevity Fruit is truly a good thing.”
A flash of greed crossed Huangfu Song’s eyes, and he entertained the thought of keeping it all for himself.
At that moment, a commotion and cries of grief came from outside the secluded chamber.
“Brother Li Fan, how could you die so suddenly! How am I to repay the kindness you showed me all those years ago!”
A figure arrived beside Li Fan’s corpse. After taking a moment to confirm, they lunged forward, embracing the body and wailing.
This person was dressed in the attire of the Garrison Corps, and the other cultivator beside him was someone Huangfu Song also recognized.
The Garrison Corps Commander of Tianyun Province, Daoist Jing Xuan .
This person was a direct subordinate of the former commander, Lu Junyi.
After Lu Junyi was promoted to the position of Garrison Corps General Commander of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, this person also rose quickly through the ranks.
Although his position was higher than Huangfu Song’s, the Garrison Corps and the Formation Deployment Hall were not under the same department.
Huangfu Song had no fear of him.
Out of courtesy, he bowed.
Jing Xuan nodded, gazing at Li Fan’s body and letting out a sigh.
With the Garrison Corps involved, Huangfu Song’s selfish ambition of keeping Li Fan’s inheritance for himself was dashed.
According to procedure, the items within Li Fan’s storage ring were inspected, and no abnormalities were found.
The items were then divided equally between Huangfu Song and He Zhenghao.
As for Xue Mu…
Huangfu Song claimed that he had attempted to betray and flee to the Five Elders Association, but was caught and subsequently killed.
Jing Xuan investigated and found that this was indeed the case.
He did not inquire further.
One million six hundred and eighty thousand contribution points were Li Fan’s life savings.
He Zhenghao received a clean one million, while the remainder went to Huangfu Song.
Correspondingly, the Transformation Longevity Fruit belonged to Huangfu Song.
The remaining spirit stones and artifacts were given to He Zhenghao.
Except for a “Formation Breaking Disc”, the rest were not of great value.
Both Huangfu Song and He Zhenghao were satisfied with the division of the inheritance.
After witnessing Li Fan’s body being cremated, the two parted ways.
Back in Tianyun Province, He Zhenghao, who had become suddenly rich overnight, felt a mix of sadness and confusion.
He recalled the contents of Li Fan’s letter.
“…There is something I have been keeping from you, fellow Daoist.”
“In truth, I am not a cultivator from Yuandao Province, but a mortal from a subworld.”
“Back then, it was you, Daoist He, who helped me sneak out of the subworld.”
“Hehe, but I imagine you wouldn’t care about those mortals from back then.”
Thinking about this, He Zhenghao couldn’t help but blush.
Over the years, he had smuggled thousands of subworld mortals through his hands.
And with He Zhenghao’s personality, how could he possibly care about what those mortals looked like.
“So, Brother Li Fan and I actually had such a connection.”
“No wonder he always took such good care of me. It all makes sense now!”
“It’s just a pity…”
Thinking about this, He Zhenghao couldn’t help but lament and feel a deep sadness.
After a while, he remembered Li Fan’s final request.
“In Shilin Province, there are descendants of my subworld kin.”
“I hope you can take care of them.”
He Zhenghao looked at the inheritance he had just received and pondered for a moment.
Then, he sighed and took out most of it.
He took a leave of absence, disguised himself, and headed straight for Shilin Province.
…
Xiao Heng was extremely wary of this seemingly out-of-nowhere cultivator from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
However, the spirit stones and artifacts they had brought were genuine.
They also claimed to be acting on the behest of the deceased.
After much deliberation, Xiao Heng assumed it was a legacy from the Skull Elder, so he accepted it.
As for He Zhenghao, according to Li Fan’s will, this group of Offworlders had not only not joined the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, but had also seemingly joined a mysterious organization.
To avoid any connection to them, He Zhenghao simply delivered the inheritance and left in a hurry.
Thus, in the year 41, Li Fan’s transformed “Formation Breaking Disc” successfully reached Xiao Heng through He Zhenghao.
None of the Offworlders were proficient in formations.
They simply treated it as an ordinary formation breaking artifact and left it in their storage rings.
In the year 45, Han Wuyou came of age and successfully established his foundation.
Xiao Heng gave Han Wuyou the Formation Breaking Disc and two other artifacts as gifts.
Han Wuyou was very fond of the Formation Breaking Disc and kept it close by, nourishing it with his heartblood day and night.
In the year 46, Han Wuyou and the “Formation Breaking Disc” established a strange connection.
A flood of formation knowledge suddenly surged into his mind.
After informing Xiao Heng about this, the Offworlders investigated but couldn’t find any reason for it.
They simply instructed Han Wuyou to keep it safe.
In the year 48, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance announced to the world that within ten years, all cultivators within their territory who had not joined the alliance must join. Those who refused would face the consequences.
The news sparked discontent among many independent cultivators.
The Offworlders, however, received a message from Shuo Feng instructing them to cooperate.
In the year 49, the Thousand-Faced Demon Lord attacked Shilin Province.
Although the Soul Locking Array quickly locked onto its target, it was still not captured.
It rampaged for half a month, killing hundreds of cultivators before calmly withdrawing.
In the year 50, Han Wuyou broke through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.
In the year 51, a roar of rage, filled with resentment, suddenly echoed across the distant Yuandao Province.
“Who dares?!”
The reverberations continued for days.
People were horrified to discover that the voice belonged to the long-deceased Blue Feather Immortal Venerable.
Seven days later, the voice dissipated. Blue Feather Immortal Venerable never appeared again.
In the year 53, Linghu Chang of the Medicine King Sect was persuaded by Xiao Heng to join “Rebirth Immortal.”
Linghu Chang and Xiao Heng, along with the others, discovered a former site of the Tianji Sect in the Hundred Stones Cave on the outskirts of Shilin Province.
They obtained several cultivation techniques from it.
In the year 55, an unnatural phenomenon occurred.
Green threads densely covered the sky.
It lasted for three months before disappearing.
People were terrified but did not understand what it meant.
(End of Chapter)