The Xuanhuang Heart Refining Mantra began to operate automatically. Within a few breaths, even the injuries to his divine sea consciousness had completely vanished.
“Hoo…”
“Not only did he effortlessly dismantle my [Formless Killing Intent], but he also managed to strike my divine sense from such a great distance.”
“If it weren’t for the protective shield of the Manifestation of Heavenly Sovereign Statue, my sea of consciousness would have suffered severe damage.”
Li Fan glanced at the Manifestation of Heavenly Sovereign Statue statue in his hand. After emitting a faint white glow, it dissolved and disappeared without a trace.
“Old Fisherman… a being above Dao Integration is indeed terrifying.”
Although Li Fan was astonished, he was far from fearful. Instead, a glimmer of excitement flashed in his eyes.
He hadn’t anticipated things to proceed so smoothly.
When he noticed Han Yi wandering aimlessly into the heartlands of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and pausing in the Luoyan Prefecture, Li Fan already had a vague sense of what was about to unfold.
In Li Fan’s expectations, Han Yi would need additional guidance to find the Old Fisherman within the vast regions of several provinces. However, as if guided by destiny or influenced by unknown factors, Han Yi moved with unexpected precision, directly locking onto the Old Fisherman’s location.
The Old Fisherman was a shared opportunity for all. Cultivators within the heartlands of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance would instinctively search for his whereabouts. Once discovered, news of his presence spread quickly, with mutual cooperation ensuring swift dissemination.
Li Fan, having experienced countless cycles of reincarnation, was naturally well-versed in this pattern.
Thus, when he saw the Old Fisherman through his perspective of heaven and earth, Li Fan couldn’t help but feel immense joy. His plan to orchestrate a battle between the Old Fisherman, the Heavenly Doctor, and the Sage seemed to be on the brink of success.
When Li Fan initially implanted the thoughts into Han Yi’s mind, he also left a wisp of “Heavenly Calamity Energy” in his body. Though almost undetectable, under Li Fan’s deliberate manipulation, it could erupt in a manner that the Old Fisherman wouldn’t overlook.
Through Han Yi’s memories, the Old Fisherman could see the location of the Azure Wind Trapped Sword. Similarly, he could witness the appearance of the Heavenly Doctor in the Cloud-Water Heavenly Palace.
Li Fan was confident that both the Sage and the Old Fisherman harbored irreconcilable hatred toward the Heavenly Doctor.
The Old Fisherman, after reclaiming the Heavenly Calamity Sword and restoring some of his power, would undoubtedly seek a confrontation with the Heavenly Doctor. This would undoubtedly complicate matters for the Heavenly Doctor.
The plan was perfect. However, Han Yi proved to be an unexpected variable.
Despite the Old Fisherman appearing before him more than ten times, Han Yi failed to notice anything amiss, leaving Li Fan, who had been tailing them from afar, repeatedly shaking his head.
Of course, Li Fan wouldn’t risk his own safety by intervening. Instead, he kept his distance, patiently observing.
Fortunately, while the process deviated slightly, the outcome ultimately aligned with his expectations.
When Han Yi, lost in his thoughts, charged at the Old Fisherman, even Li Fan couldn’t help but silently applaud his courage.
However, when the Old Fisherman merely cast a glance in Han Yi’s direction, Li Fan immediately sensed trouble.
…
“Thankfully, I was prepared for this and am no longer the novice Foundation Establishment cultivator I once was.”
Exhaling deeply, Li Fan, now recovered, began pondering his next steps.
“If everything proceeds as expected, the Old Fisherman should now be heading toward the Congyun Sea.”
“Gods clash, mortals suffer. My true body should steer clear of the chaos.”
With a thought, Li Fan shifted his attention to his clone, Zhou Qingang.
At the Congyun Sea, the storm was gradually subsiding. Most cultivators had turned their focus to cultivation and studying the techniques they had recently acquired, leaving the administration hall unusually quiet.
Unnoticed by anyone, Li Fan directed Zhou Qingang to approach the Cloud-Water Heavenly Palace. The place was almost deserted, with only a few cultivators occasionally passing through in groups.
After a moment of contemplation, Li Fan decided to wait outside instead of entering the palace immediately.
Three days passed.
A sudden gust of wind rustled his robes.
Li Fan raised his head toward the sky and extended a hand, feeling the intensifying wind. A sense of anticipation swelled within him.
“The Old Fisherman is in place. Will the Sage come?”
Based on past experiences, Li Fan was almost certain of the answer.
The faint aura emitted by the Heavenly Doctor’s statue alone was enough to attract the Sage. With the addition of the Old Fisherman, an old acquaintance, the Sage had no reason not to appear.
Moreover, the timing perfectly aligned with the Sage’s expected arrival.
Li Fan was confident that his plan was coming to fruition.
“Next, I need to find a good spot to watch the show.”
Retrieving a gourd of fine wine from his storage ring, Li Fan gave it a gentle pat and entered the Cloud-Water Heavenly Palace. After completing three trials with lightning speed, he stayed behind, sharing drinks and idle chatter with Senior Brother Qin.
While outwardly relaxed, Li Fan was silently awaiting the inevitable confrontation.
However, as time dragged on without the anticipated scene, Li Fan grew increasingly restless.
“Ha! Junior Brother, you’re quite insincere. Pretending to drink with me while your thoughts wander!”
“Tell me, which junior sister has caught your eye? Don’t worry, share it with me. If suitable, I’ll act as your matchmaker!”
“Of course, a senior sister isn’t out of the question either!”
Senior Brother Qin, half-drunk, burst into hearty laughter.
Li Fan was about to respond when the entire world suddenly shook violently. Senior Brother Qin, mid-drink, froze, trembling uncontrollably.
“Heavenly Doctor…”
All traces of drunkenness vanished as he ground his teeth in anger.
Boom!
Layers of illusions shattered, and when Li Fan reappeared at the gates of the Cloud-Water Heavenly Palace, the first thing he saw was the confrontation between the Old Fisherman and the Heavenly Doctor.
Unlike in his previous life, the once thunderous wails and lamentations within the Cloud-Water Heavenly Palace had subsided significantly, as if something was suppressing their outbursts of hatred and sorrow.
The Old Fisherman glared at the Heavenly Doctor, his body enveloped in surging black calamity energy. Yet, the Heavenly Calamity Sword fragment was nowhere in sight.
Though silent, the murderous intent in his eyes was unmistakable. For some reason, however, he refrained from attacking.
The Heavenly Doctor, on the other hand, appeared rather indifferent, even slightly amused.
“How interesting.”
“Tian Jue, have you regained your memory?” the Heavenly Doctor asked.
TL Note:- [Tian Jue can mean Heavenly absolute/extreme or even something more. Just wanted to give you guys some context as I didn’t know if I should keep it as Tian Jue or go with english term of heaven’s absolute, both are right of course. but knowing an context behind the name can always be a plus. Same goes for Heavenly Doctor named Tianyi]