However, Li Fan knew of a way to completely seal it in ice.
Since the extinction of the Heavenly Spirit Flower, many formerly secret techniques have gradually spread.
One such technique, named Collection of Flowers, uses painting to permanently seal the Heavenly Spirit Flower within a canvas.
Originally, the Collection of Flowers wasn’t intended specifically for the Heavenly Spirit Flower; rather, it was meant to immortalize every beautiful flower in the world.
The author of the Collection of Flowers, Zhao Chong, was deeply passionate about flowers. He vowed to see every flower under heaven.
So, he set out to record all flowers using brush and ink. Unfortunately, his talent for painting was mediocre, and his depictions were so far from reality they bordered on sacrilege.
After racking his brains, Zhao Chong eventually pioneered a unique approach—a “painting” technique that directly sealed real flowers onto paper. Though it lacked artistic spirit, it was lifelike and extraordinarily realistic.
In his previous life, Zhao Chong’s Collection of Flowers did not include the Heavenly Spirit Flower. Although he had long heard of its legendary beauty, he had intended to save the best for last. Consequently, he hesitated too long to capture it.
After the war that ravaged Tianling Prefecture, its natural wonders were no more. Zhao Chong deeply regretted his delay, crying his lament to anyone who would listen.
At this moment, Li Fan put the box containing the Heavenly Spirit Flower into his pocket and continued wandering around the shop, feigning casual interest. Only after receiving a hostile glare from the shopkeeper did he reluctantly leave.
After exiting the shop, he made his way to the City Discourse Tower Hall in the city and rented a room. Using the Tianxuan Mirror, he purchased three items: [Ice Dew], [Image Capture Seal], and [Thousand Colors Silk]. Though not particularly valuable, they cost nearly all his contribution points.
Taking out the Tianling Flower’s seventeen petals, he placed them onto the [Thousand Colors Silk] and then soaked them in [Ice Dew]. As cold air gradually spread across the petals, he pressed down with the [Image Capture Seal].
Following the process Zhao Chong had described in his previous life, Li Fan carefully executed each step. The [Thousand Colors Silk] emitted a rainbow of lights, reflecting through the Tianling Flower and onto the [Image Capture Seal]. Like threads being woven together, the sealed Tianling Flower fused with the [Thousand Colors Silk] and [Image Capture Seal].
The light slowly faded, and soon a thin, transparent “paper” appeared in Li Fan’s hands. Although it felt flat, the flower on it looked just like a real, blooming flower. Every petal’s detail was vivid, and it seemed even to tremble slightly.
“That’s it,” Li Fan breathed a sigh of relief.
“All that remains is to add a protective layer of spiritual consciousness to prevent anyone from maliciously damaging it. But there’s no rush.”
Li Fan looked at the “artwork” in his hand, knowing it would soon become one of a kind in the Xuanhuang Realm. Its value would be incalculable, far beyond mere wealth; its unique appeal could accomplish tasks contribution points alone couldn’t.
With a smile, he admired it a bit longer before carefully storing it away.
He left the City Central Tower and wandered around Tianling City for three more days.
On that day, a wave of exclamations arose in the city.
“Look to the sky!”
Li Fan looked up, finally seeing the long-awaited scene.
A rolling black swamp resembling dark clouds filled the sky, blocking out the sun. Though it seemed imposing, it was actually dry and lifeless within.
At the same time, a voice emerged in Li Fan’s mind:
“Dao Integration cultivator Long Jiuyuan, after 286 years of cultivation, reached Foundation Establishment with the Scarlet Dragon Molt and achieved the Golden Core stage with the Four Techniques: Hidden Potential, Rising Dragon, Spell Breaking, and Life-and-Death Battle.
“By devouring the Hundred Abyss Cave Heaven, he achieved Nascent Soul and transformed his spirit with the Thousand Waters of Tianling. He offered the Spirit of the Black Marsh and united with the Dao in body and spirit. In Tianling Prefecture, he was gravely injured by the cultivator Xu Huating. His spirit perished, and he returned his Dao to the heavens.”
“…It really is him.” A sharp glint appeared in Li Fan’s eyes.
The fall of a Dao Integration cultivator meant an unavoidable battle was imminent. Soon, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance would issue a war preparation announcement, and all provincial borders would be sealed.
Li Fan had to leave this perilous place before then and return to the relative calm of Congyun Sea which had been relatively calm during the battle of Tianling Prefecture.
As other cultivators stood frozen, Li Fan had already slipped into the teleportation formation. Only after he vanished did murmurs fill Tianling City.
“Long Jiuyuan? When did he achieve Dao Integration?”
“No way! How did he die?”
“Who is Xu Huating? He could actually kill a Dao Integration cultivator?”
“The most promising junior of the Long family has fallen just like that. This will certainly cause a stir.”
—
As the people of Tianling Prefecture processed their shock, disbelief spread across the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
A tremendous storm was forming, with Tianling Prefecture at its epicenter, spreading to engulf the entire alliance.
Shortly after:
In Congyun Sea.
He Zhenghao, anxiously monitoring his newly acquired supplies, was sweating bullets at every slight price fluctuation. Suddenly, the crisp mechanical voice of the Tianxuan Mirror echoed in his ears.
“Starting from this moment, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance enters a Class B state of readiness.”
“All regional protective formations are to be activated.”
“All cultivators are prohibited from moving across states.”
“All members of the alliance’s internal system must return to their state cities as soon as possible and await orders.”
“Once any foreign cultivators are detected, they are to be killed on the spot, regardless of life or death.”
The announcement repeated three times before ending.
He Zhenghao was initially stunned, then his eyes widened in shock as he jumped to his feet.
The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was preparing for war with the Five Elders Association?
Terror seized his heart. He was about to contact Gao Yuan to discuss countermeasures when he remembered something and quickly looked down at the list of items on the Tianxuan Mirror.
Speculative traders are astonishingly quick to react.
While most cultivators in the alliance were still reeling from the impending war, prices for survival-related items were already skyrocketing.
The Heavenly Healing Pill, standardized Big Dipper Armor, Divine Martial Thunder, and Hundred Battle Formation Diagram—all the materials Li Fan had ordered He Zhenghao to stockpile—were rising in price at breakneck speed.
Not only these items, but anything related to survival and combat in the Tianxuan Mirror had surged in price.
Everyone knew that the current supply couldn’t possibly meet the cultivators’ demand.
With war looming, who could guarantee they wouldn’t end up on the battlefield? The more protection and preparation one had, the better one’s chances of survival.
Compared to one’s life, contribution points were inconsequential. Even at double the price, cultivators would pay willingly.
In a flash of insight, He Zhenghao realized, “The Lord’s foresight is truly uncanny!”
Looking at the soaring prices of his stockpile, He Zhenghao was both delighted and terrified.
The joy came from seeing his 100 million contribution points’ worth of goods increase by a third in such a short time. But he feared that hoarding goods might lead to punishment by the Immortal alliance.
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