The last time Li Fan was investigated by the Tianji Hall due to the “Green Ox Cart Incident” was still fresh in his mind. Now, he found himself once again in the central core area of the Ten Thousand Immortal Island.
Passing by the Formation Hall, he continued inward until he reached a building with a stone monument inscribed with the word “Martial” at its entrance. He paused in front of it.
The moment he saw the word, Li Fan felt a suffocating, oppressive atmosphere descend upon him. It was as if several illusions appeared before his eyes, and the next moment, it seemed that blades and swords would be drawn upon him.
“The calligraphy is good, but it still lacks a certain essence compared to the ‘Chaos’ stone I saw before,” Li Fan thought to himself, suppressing his instinctual urge to fight back.
With a stern expression, he walked into the Martial Hall without showing any emotion.
Unlike the Formation Hall, which was known for its overlapping spaces accessed via teleportation arrays, the main feature of the Martial Hall consisted of numerous giant stones floating in the air.
The jagged stones, scattered like stars across the sky, varied greatly in shape—some resembled humans or beasts, others like mountains or rivers.
On top of these giant stones, one could vaguely see pavilions, plants, and even the occasional figure flying by. However, the flying stone on which Li Fan stood was particularly special.
It was barren and smooth, almost like a mirror. Faint lines of light seemed to flow beneath the surface of the stone. As soon as Li Fan stepped onto the stone, a formation was activated, and he felt himself being uncontrollably moved to the center of the floating stone.
At the same time, as Li Fan looked up, the surrounding flying stones, like stars, began to undergo mysterious changes.
Initially, the area where Li Fan stood was an inconspicuous corner of the starry sea. But once he was restrained, the scenery above shifted, as if the stars were revolving around him.
In an instant, Li Fan seemed to be at the center of the starry sea, becoming the absolute focus of this space.
He also sensed countless gazes hidden behind the giant stones, all converging on him.
This was true “attention from all sides”! Each gaze was as heavy as a mountain. If it were any other cultivator, unaccustomed to such a scene or lacking strong mental fortitude, they would have collapsed to their knees on the spot.
Yet, Li Fan remained calm and collected, his expression unchanged.
After a brief standoff, a solemn voice echoed through the stone sea.
“Li Fan, cultivator, due to the abnormal price fluctuations of the Samantabhadra True Leaf, you are summoned here to undergo investigation.”
“This investigation will be conducted by the Martial Hall of Congyun Sea, with the cooperation of the Tianji Hall and the Administrative Hall.”
“Due to the significant impact and extremely malicious nature of this incident, the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance has dispatched a special envoy to oversee the entire process.”
“In the spirit of fairness, justice, and transparency, this investigation will not be kept confidential and will be subject to the supervision of all members of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.”
…
After a long preamble, the booming voice finally got to the main point.
“Li Fan, during the investigation, you are allowed to defend yourself.”
“But you will be held accountable for the truthfulness of every word you say. If any concealment or deceit is discovered, you will be punished according to the severity of the offense, in line with the Immortal Alliance’s laws.”
The words echoed in his mind, and Li Fan nodded to indicate his understanding.
“Now, I declare the investigation officially begins.”
“Martial Hall, please have Jin Chongcheng recount the details of this incident.”
A flash of light appeared, and a cultivator wearing the uniform of the Martial Hall of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance appeared in mid-air above Li Fan.
Standing above Li Fan, he looked up at the countless floating stones in the sky and began to speak.
“The abnormal price fluctuations of the Samantabhadra True Leaf began sixteen days ago, triggered by a statement made by this cultivator, Li Fan.”
“He spread the message through Jiao Xiuyuan that the ‘price of the Samantabhadra True Leaf would skyrocket.’ Afterward…”
Jin Chongcheng concisely summarized the events leading up to the incident. As he spoke, scenes began to appear on the sky screen: a graph depicting the price fluctuations of the Pu Xian True Leaf, images of cultivators frantically buying it, and the aftermath of the Tianxuan Mirror’s stabilization, showing countless cultivators suffering heavy losses.
“Furthermore, we noticed that before the price of the Samantabhadra True Leaf rose, cultivator Li Fan had already purchased a large stock. He sold it at the peak, making a substantial profit.”
“Based on this, we suspect that cultivator Li Fan disseminated false information, exploited the herd mentality of the public for profit, and maliciously disrupted the stability of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance,” Jin Chongcheng added.
After he finished speaking, the Martial Hall fell into silence.
Li Fan felt the weight of the gazes on him increase.
If it were any ordinary cultivator, they might have already paled and confessed under the pressure.
However, Li Fan raised his head and interrupted Jin Chongcheng, “I have an objection!”
“Spreading false information? Where does that accusation come from? Yes, I did make a bit of money in this incident…”
Ignoring the killing intent in the gazes directed at him, Li Fan continued, “But as cultivators, pursuing profit is only natural. I have the ability to predict the future, and I used it to make a profit. What’s wrong with that?”
“And the subsequent price trend of the Samantabhadra True Leaf matched my predictions. Doesn’t that just prove the accuracy of my foresight?” Li Fan argued righteously.
Whispers spread through the Martial Hall.
“Silence!”
“As for whether using predictive techniques for profit is legitimate or not, we ask Elder Gongsun Qixuan of the Tianji Hall to speak.”
A flash of light replaced Jin Chongcheng with a young scholar who appeared to be in his early twenties.
Despite his handsome appearance, he looked somewhat listless.
“It’s him…” Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly as he recognized the person and nodded in acknowledgment.
This Gongsun Qixuan was the very same cultivator Li Fan had encountered during his previous investigation by the Tianji Hall. The mysterious aura emanating from him had left a deep impression on Li Fan.
After exchanging polite greetings with Li Fan, Gongsun Qixuan lightly coughed and began to speak slowly, “The stance of our Tianji Hall has never changed.”
“The results of predictive techniques can certainly be used as a reference for future actions. If not, why would our Tianji Hall even exist?”
“We do it, so naturally, there’s no reason to forbid other cultivators within the alliance from doing the same.”
Gongsun Qixuan’s words were quite fair and made sense.
Li Fan nodded repeatedly as he listened.
However, at that moment, Gongsun Qixuan’s tone changed, and he fixed his sharp gaze on Li Fan.
“But, I question whether this cultivator Li Fan truly possesses the ability to predict the future!”
“If he genuinely predicted that ‘the price of the Samantabhadra True Leaf would skyrocket,’ then our Tianji Hall believes he is innocent.”
“But if…”
A cold glint flashed in Gongsun Qixuan’s eyes.
“If this was fabricated out of thin air by him.”
“We suggest that he be sentenced to death.”