Back in the Fallen Immortal Realm, the wise Beast Emperor Sanmo once told Lu Ya, “Even when you see something with your own eyes, it may not always be the truth.”
Similarly, the conclusions Li Fan has deduced now may not be absolutely correct.
It’s like the story of the blind men feeling an elephant—what they perceive might not be the whole picture.
But it’s still part of the truth.
In his mind, the crystal of the Dao Derivation Stone emitted a bright blue light, instantly recording all the countless thoughts that crossed his mind.
Next, Li Fan needed to consider how to deal with the woman in green.
Shortly after she finished speaking, Li Fan shook his head and replied, “The power of the [Immortal Ruins] is beyond what ordinary people can imagine.”
“A force that can even distort space-time brings consequences that are hard to predict.”
“You say that once the Immortal Realm Passage is severed, you will be free from all restraints and completely liberated.”
As Li Fan spoke slowly, he subtly observed the woman in green’s expression.
“After all, those places that left the Xuanhuang Realm before have all gone silent, and there’s no way to contact them anymore.”
“Are they truly free, or have they already been destroyed in the Immortal Ruins? Who knows?”
“Otherwise, why would our [Federation Of All Worlds] be able to recruit so many members?”
“Even if there’s only a one in ten thousand chance of failure, it’s still too risky for an entire civilization.”
Li Fan spoke with a slight tone of sarcasm.
The woman’s smile gradually faded as she stared at Li Fan, seemingly trying to discern something from his face.
But Li Fan remained composed, showing no signs of weakness.
The woman in green finally said, “You’re right. That’s also why I’ve returned to the Xuanhuang Realm this time.”
“Currently, very few people within the Empire know about the existence of the Immortal Ruins. But there’s no such thing as a secret that can’t be discovered. Once the conservatives learn of this, the resistance to the plan to leave the Xuanhuang Realm will only increase.”
“At that time, even the thousand years of prestige accumulated by the Imperial Family may not be enough to peacefully implement this plan.”
Li Fan asked, “So, are you here to seek help?”
The woman in green nodded, “The Imperial Princess’s determination to carry out the plan to leave the Xuanhuang Realm hasn’t changed. Even though there are risks, we believe it’s worth it.”
“However, the despicable nobles within the Empire may not share this view.”
“To avoid internal conflict, the Empire must accelerate the pace of the plan.”
She paused for a moment before continuing, “While we speed up the acquisition of the Path-Fusing Techniques, we also need to expedite the resources for nurturing the Rift Whale.”
As she spoke, she handed over a jade slip.
A quick scan with his spiritual sense revealed a long list of resources.
Searching his memory, Li Fan found that while most of these resources weren’t individually expensive, the sheer quantity required was staggering.
The total cost was likely beyond the five million contribution points he currently had.
His eyebrows slightly raised as he said, “If you join the [Federation Of all Worlds], the organization might consider assisting with what you need.”
“But since you’ve already decided to leave, our organization isn’t a charity.”
The woman in green replied, “As you said, there’s a chance that leaving the Xuanhuang Realm might lead to destruction.”
“Although the Empire’s resolve remains unchanged, it doesn’t hurt to hedge our bets.”
Li Fan’s eyes flickered, “You mean…”
“That’s right. The Empire will allocate a portion of its forces to join the Federation Of all Worlds.”
“As an alternate seed of civilization, they will remain in the Xuanhuang Realm. If the Empire does encounter catastrophe in the future, they can continue the Imperial legacy as a separate branch.” The woman in green spoke with burning eyes, revealing her true intentions.
Hearing this, Li Fan couldn’t help but sneer, “Aren’t you overestimating yourselves? To avoid arousing suspicion within the Empire, the forces you divert can’t be too significant. Relying on them alone to exchange for the resources on this list is far from sufficient.”
The woman in green replied calmly, “Your Excellency, you misunderstand. As the seeds of the Empire’s civilization, all the technology the Empire currently possesses will naturally be preserved. After joining the association, these technologies can be shared with the organization.”
“Let’s not even mention the rest, but the value of the [Beast God Armor] alone is enough to cover most of the resources on this list.”
Li Fan hadn’t expected them to be so bold, willing to use all the technology at their disposal as bargaining chips.
Even if the “all technologies” they spoke of were slightly exaggerated, the various elements of the Empire that Li Fan had seen in Li Chenfeng’s mind were enough to make him tempted.
Indeed, these technologies might not directly benefit Li Fan’s cultivation.
But the Empire’s system, so different from the current Xuanhuang Realm, could greatly enhance Li Fan’s foundation.
As the saying goes, “The more skills you have, the fewer worries you’ll face.” Perhaps in some future cycle, this ability to control exotic beasts would come in handy.
Without much hesitation, Li Fan quickly made up his mind.
He would trick the Empire into handing over all its technology.
Feigning a hesitant yet interested look, Li Fan pondered for a moment before saying, “This is a significant matter, beyond my authority to decide.”
“Allow me to report back, and I’ll give you an answer.”
Li Fan’s response was within the woman in green’s expectations.
“The sooner, the better,” she urged.
Li Fan cupped his hands in farewell and quickly left.
In the secret chamber, only the Empire’s group remained.
“Saint Master, do we really have to use the core technologies the Empire has developed over so many years as bargaining chips?” Li Chenfeng asked reluctantly.
The woman in green did not immediately respond. Instead, she frowned and looked up at the sky.
After laying down several layers of restrictions, she turned to Li Chenfeng and scolded, “Have you forgotten what I taught you?”
“Survival is the primary objective of civilization.”
“Only by surviving do technology and culture have meaning.”
“If the civilization itself is destroyed, what use are these achievements, no matter how glorious?”
Li Chenfeng was still somewhat dissatisfied, “But…”
The woman in green cut him off with a wave of her hand, “We’ve already discussed this with the Imperial Princess and reached a final decision. No more arguments!”
Seeing this, Li Chenfeng had no choice but to bow his head in resignation.
“That person just now, I couldn’t see through him. And he’s just a messenger. It seems that this [Federation Of all Worlds] truly has some depth,” the woman in green murmured as she watched Li Fan’s figure disappear into the distance.
Li Chenfeng was startled, “Saint Master, even with your cultivation, you couldn’t discern his background? What is that man’s true strength?”
The woman in green was also puzzled, “On the surface, his realm doesn’t seem very high, but I could always sense a faint trace of danger from him.”