When Li Fan made his appearance, the silvery starlight radiating from him and the uncontrollable, enlightening aura of the Dao rhythm surrounding him naturally stemmed from the effects of the [Human Dao Stardust] and the Enlightenment Pills he had consumed.
For this, Li Fan swallowed the previously refined [Human Dao Stardust], which had the power to reverse the thoughts of his beloved, along with hundreds of Enlightenment Pills—all in one gulp.
He didn’t expect to fully absorb their essence but only needed their residual energy to spill out.
Looking at it now, the intimidation effect worked quite well.
As more and more contributions filled his pouch, Li Fan believed that unless something unforeseen occurred, this final round of fundraising should proceed smoothly.
There was no longer any need to linger here, so Li Fan left quietly.
Instead of returning to Congyun City, he retreated to the hidden chamber he had excavated earlier in the depths of the ocean trench, once again going into seclusion.
—
“The Heaven and Earth Divination Dice…”
He toyed with it, his thoughts surging.
The words he had spoken earlier were not entirely fabricated.
During his prior interactions with this ancient treasure from the Heavenly Mechanism Sect, fleeting, blurry visions occasionally appeared in his mind.
These visions depicted apocalyptic scenes—scorched earth stretching for thousands of miles and the dead silence of Congyun Sea.
If an ordinary cultivator received such inexplicable premonitions, they would undoubtedly panic and be at a loss.
However, Li Fan was unfazed. After all, he had witnessed far more terrifying scenarios, such as the utter annihilation of everything by the Ink Death.
For Li Fan, something like the Crimson Flame Burning the Sea was just a minor scene.
What truly intrigued him was the timing of these future visions sensed through the Heaven and Earth Divination Dice.
It wasn’t tied to the usual 28-year timeline he had experienced in his past reincarnations. Instead, it was happening earlier.
Moreover, the timeline kept advancing as Li Fan made various moves in his current life.
For instance, after he manipulated events to have Sikong Yi complete the Heavenly Doctor’s mission.
Or after he devised a plan for Han Yi to incite a great battle between the Fisherman, the Heavenly Doctor, and the Sage.
Each time, the vision of the Crimson Flame Burning the Sea in the Heaven and Earth Divination Dice advanced significantly.
Li Fan understood that the future was never fixed, nor was there any event destined to occur without fail.
However, an event as monumental as the Crimson Flame Burning the Sea shouldn’t be easily altered by his actions.
Yet evidently, Li Fan had underestimated the impact of his moves on this apocalyptic event.
Why would Congyun Sea witness the slaughter of all life by the Spirit of Heaven and Earth?
Even after the annihilation of the Crimson Flame, why would the will of Heaven persist, sending out the formidable [Ink Death] to turn Congyun Sea into a complete wasteland? R̃�
The intervention of Ink Death would reduce Congyun Sea to nothingness—a mutual destruction scenario detrimental to Heaven and Earth itself.
And yet, Heaven remained resolute.
Congyun Sea must perish.
This was something Li Fan had understood in his early cycles of reincarnation.
But as for why—he still couldn’t find a clue.
However, in this life, after he actively facilitated the meeting between the Heavenly Doctor, the Sage, and the Fisherman, things began to shift.
According to the visions from the Heaven and Earth Divination Dice, if the battle between the three truly took place, the Crimson Flame Burning the Sea, originally pegged for 28 years, would now occur by year 20 at the latest—eight years earlier.
The war among the Heavenly Doctor, the Fisherman, and the Sage had long been part of Li Fan’s plan.
It couldn’t be altered simply because of this shift in timing.
This was why Li Fan decided to launch the final fundraising campaign now.
At present, everything was still just fragmented images from the Heaven and Earth Destiny Dice.
It might take a few years for these events to materialize into a definitive outcome.
“If the Red Flame Burning the Sea really occurs earlier because of the frequent actions of the Heavenly Doctor and others…”
“Then things become truly intriguing.”
A glint of intrigue flashed through Li Fan’s eyes.
He thought again of the shattered fragments of the Heavenly Fiend Sword, suppressed across various places by the Spirit of Heaven and Earth.
Li Fan, after several reincarnations in the Xuanhuang Realm and extensive study of its records, had gained a considerable understanding of its cultivation dynamics.
While not omniscient, he had pieced together a substantial picture.
He knew that ever since the establishment of the new cultivation laws, the conflict between cultivators and Heaven and Earth had become irreconcilable.
Yet Heaven typically countered cultivators indirectly, using mechanisms like “Law of Incompatible Cultivation,” which subtly altered the fundamental rules of existence to purge cultivators.
But the catastrophic calamity in Congyun Sea, with Heaven’s overt display of murderous intent…
Li Fan had rarely encountered similar cases.
Perhaps relevant records had been concealed, but for now, Congyun Sea was the only known example.
“What does this ultimately signify?”
A contemplative expression crossed Li Fan’s face.
“Let’s hope the Heavenly Doctor and the others can give me some enlightenment in this life.”
—
After the grand gathering of cultivators on Liuli Island, it took less than a day for all the cultivators in Congyun Sea to receive confirmed news.
The rumors were true. The reclusive Lord Envoy had personally emerged to validate them.
And so began a grand frenzy.
The high-yield fundraising plan, previously exclusive to cultivators with ties to Li Fan, was now open to all.
The promise of a threefold return in five years seemed miraculous, but with the legendary cultivator of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect leading the project, it didn’t seem impossible.
Cultivators eagerly spread the news, passionately debating how much contribution they should invest.
Even the most cautious among them wavered in the face of such widespread enthusiasm.
“Forty-five thousand contribution points—if I triple that…”
“That would exceed a hundred thousand!”
Sikong Yi’s heart raced.
“Fellow Daoist Han was right. Cultivation is all about connections! Without the opportunity he left for me to work with He Zhenghao, when else could I have made this much?”
“Fellow Daoist Han, you died well!”
With that thought, Sikong Yi didn’t hesitate.
He decided to bet everything he had on this fundraising campaign.
“This is a rare chance, never to be missed. My comeback hinges on this!”
Determination flickered in his eyes.
Meanwhile, in Yuandao Province, Han Yi, still carrying his hard-earned hundred thousand contribution points, heard the news.
“Congyun Sea, Li Fan… threefold in five years?”
A spark of interest ignited within him.
Since forcibly altering his fortune had caused a backlash, everything had been going poorly for him.
His cultivation progress was slow, and his contribution points had already dwindled.
“Perhaps…”
Hesitation flashed in Han Yi’s eyes.