In the face of nearly unanimous opposition from the entire sect, Senior Sister Zhao resolutely decided to marry Li Fan.
The wedding was very simple, even somewhat crude.
But her master, Zhang Wangshuang, still attended. He looked at the newlyweds below and sighed softly, a faint smile reluctantly appearing on his face.
That night, countless heartbroken disciples of the Grand Dao Sect drank themselves into oblivion, with many fights breaking out as a result.
It is worth mentioning that the reason why so many young disciples of the Grand Dao Sect were infatuated with Senior Sister Zhao was not only due to her unmatched beauty and strength among her peers.
More importantly, after practicing the “Heaven and Earth Converging Manual,” Senior Sister Zhao inadvertently exuded an irresistible feminine allure that was almost impossible to withstand.
Furthermore, in the eyes of outsiders, Senior Sister Zhao’s primordial yin remained intact, giving the impression that she was still a virgin.
Thus, even though she had always been close to Li Fan, she still attracted countless suitors who pursued her tirelessly.
After the wedding, following a reminder from Li Fan, Senior Sister Zhao dispelled her disguise.
Because after shedding her youthful aura, her mature charm was even more enticing, making her even harder to resist.
Fortunately, Senior Sister Zhao was utterly devoted to Li Fan, which eased some of the pressure on him.
However, whether for the sake of longevity or to protect Senior Sister Zhao, Li Fan became even more diligent in his cultivation from then on.
With no shortage of spirit stones and pills, combined with the dual cultivation of the “Heaven and Earth Converging Manual,” Li Fan’s cultivation level increased day by day.
In the blink of an eye, thirteen years had passed.
On this day, a heavenly phenomenon occurred.
All living beings in the Xuanhuang Realm saw an elderly man with a kind face and a high crown, standing tall and holding up the sky with his hands.
The phenomenon did not last long.
But in the hearts of all cultivators, a complex and indescribable emotion surged—grief, confusion, anger—all these emotions intertwined, creating a mix of feelings.
After the image of the elder disappeared, all cultivators gradually understood.
Today, the Immortal Ancestor had achieved eternal longevity.
From this day forth, he was to be revered as the “Immortal Ancestor of Dao Transmission.”
He single-handedly altered the cultivation path of the world. From now on, cultivators could only practice the method of seizing the heavens and the earth that he had established.
Although many years had passed, and most cultivators had already adopted the new method, there were still some who clung desperately to the old “Heaven-Man Unity” cultivation path.
Now, he had cut off the old path entirely.
Some of the “old antiques,” as these ancient cultivators were mockingly called, committed suicide in despair.
Others left in anger, disappearing from the world.
Chaos spread across every corner of the Xuanhuang Realm, including within the Grand Dao Sect.
The new method was unstoppable.
These disturbances were mere ripples in the grand tide, unable to change the overall course of the river.
After the turmoil subsided, the world entered a rare period of peace and explosive growth.
The number of cultivators, and the quality of their realms, increased at an alarming rate.
Even someone like Li Fan, who was of average talent, managed to ascend to the Soul Transformation stage in just over twenty years after switching to the new method, given that he lacked no resources.
Not to mention the other elite disciples within the sect.
If not for the scarcity of Heaven and Earth Essences, and the unpredictable nature of their appearance, there would likely be an explosion of Dao Integration cultivators.
Senior Sister Zhao, as one of the most outstanding disciples of the Grand Dao Sect, passed countless tests and eventually succeeded in integrating the Dao.
She became one of the few true disciples of the Grand Dao Sect.
“Congratulations! Congratulations! The tide has risen, and where once a Soul Transformation cultivator could become a true disciple, now only Dao Integration can qualify.” Li Fan kissed Senior Sister Zhao and embraced her in congratulations.
However, her face showed little joy. Instead, a rare trace of worry appeared.
Having spent decades together, Li Fan knew her well and was surprised to see this unusual expression on her face.
Concerned, he asked, “Senior Sister, what are you worried about?”
“When I was breaking through, I had an inexplicable premonition.” Senior Sister Zhao waved her hand, sealing the surrounding space.
Then she quietly transmitted her voice, saying, “The current prosperous and bustling cultivation world, which seems to be flourishing like a blazing fire, is actually hiding a certain crisis.”
“Once it erupts…”
Li Fan was shocked.
He knew that at the moment of breaking through to the Dao Integration stage, one came close to achieving the ancient “Heaven-Man Unity” state of cultivation. The insights gained at that stage were never without reason.
Although he did not know where the crisis would come from, it did not stop the two from preparing for it in advance.
Having cultivated together for many years, the two were already inseparable and had become a unified front.
Without alerting anyone else, the couple continued their normal cultivation while secretly gathering resources, preparing for the possible cataclysmic change that could descend at any moment.
They did not expect that this preparation would last over thirty years.
Time flew by, and the crisis never materialized. The couple began to think that their past premonition had been nothing more than an illusion.
During those thirty years, Senior Sister Zhao’s cultivation became increasingly profound, and her crushing battle prowess elevated her to the status of Dao Child, the heir apparent of the Grand Dao Sect.
She was bestowed the “Heaven-Slaying Dao Scripture.”
If nothing unexpected happened, in a few years, once the current sect leader passed, she would be the next in line to become the sect leader of the Grand Dao Sect.
Senior Sister Zhao was filled with excitement, and Li Fan was genuinely happy for her.
But their joy was short-lived.
One day, the long-forgotten cataclysmic change in heaven and earth suddenly arrived.
It came so unexpectedly, so incomprehensibly, and so unacceptably for cultivators.
All the preparation they had done over the years turned out to be a joke.
Li Fan and Senior Sister Zhao were the first to sense the anomaly during their dual cultivation.
“Hmm?”
After one of their usual intense dual cultivation sessions, Li Fan voiced his confusion.
“What is it?”
Senior Sister Zhao, still not fully recovered from the blissful experience, asked curiously.
“Why does it feel like the effect of this dual cultivation session wasn’t as good?”
Li Fan furrowed his brows.
“Could it be another bottleneck?”
After reaching the Dao Integration stage, the improvement from dual cultivation had become less noticeable, so Senior Sister Zhao hadn’t initially noticed anything wrong.
But after Li Fan’s reminder, she checked and her expression subtly changed.
“There’s no bottleneck, but the effectiveness has significantly diminished.”
“Let’s try again.”
Li Fan nodded in agreement.
After a long while.
Li Fan’s expression grew heavy. “Why has it suddenly stopped working?”
“Could it be that the ‘Heaven and Earth Converging Manual’…”
Before he could finish, they suddenly heard a commotion and uproar outside.
“It’s not just dual cultivation techniques—it’s all cultivation methods…”
“They’ve all malfunctioned!”
Senior Sister Zhao finally realized what was happening, her face turning pale as she stood up abruptly.
