Hearing Ximen Yu’s confident assertion, Li Fan couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.
“Time flows, increasing and decreasing in an orderly manner. Is this the natural evolution of the Xuanhuang Realm, or is it caused by external forces?”
Li Fan instinctively thought of the elusive Immortal Ancestor.
No one else came to mind. If there were a cultivator in the Xuanhuang Realm capable of altering the heavens and earth so effortlessly, it would undoubtedly be this creator of the new laws.
“But if this guess is correct, why, as the Xuanhuang Realm approaches its fall into the Immortal Ruins, does the Immortal Ancestor not flee? Instead, He has been transforming the world for thousands of years as if nothing has changed. Why?”
“Could it be that the transformation of the world itself allowed the Immortal Ancestor to transcend?” Li Fan pondered further, recalling how, in his previous life, the Immortal Ancestor to 5left the Xuanhuang Realm a decade or so later.
As countless thoughts flashed through his mind, Li Fan temporarily suppressed his doubts.
“Brother Ximen, you truly are a rare genius who can perceive the essence of the world from the smallest details. Even Dao Integration stage cultivators pale in comparison to you!” Li Fan praised sincerely.
Then he shifted the topic: “Such groundbreaking research! Has my friend perhaps authored any detailed works on this? I’d love to study them thoroughly!”
After persistent questioning from Li Fan, Ximen Yu finally revealed the truth.
It turned out that he had completed writing A Study of Mountains and Rivers Through the Ages and was preparing to publish it, dreaming of leaving a legacy for future generations.
However, he received a warning from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
The Alliance deemed the book to contain content unsuitable for public release, requiring revisions.
But they didn’t specify which parts were problematic.
Helpless, Ximen Yu removed some sections and resubmitted it for review. Yet it still failed to pass.
In the end, the once-thick manuscript was reduced to scattered fragments, leaving only a solitary essay intact.
“Haha, since then, I’ve felt disheartened. Now I just rely on my knowledge to earn some contributions and have shifted my research focus,” Ximen Yu said with a touch of melancholy.
“Oh, by the way, I’m currently studying the flow of earth veins. If you’re interested, we could exchange insights,” he added.
Li Fan pondered for a moment before softly asking, “Does my friend still have a copy of the original manuscript?”
Ximen Yu laughed awkwardly. “A Study of Mountains and Rivers Through Ancient and Modern Times embodies my life’s work and is etched deeply in my mind. What need is there for a backup?”
“However, the full version can’t be transmitted via the Tianxuan Mirror. If you’re truly interested, you’re welcome to visit me at Qihong Isle in Leyang Prefecture.”
Leyang Prefecture was located in the eastern central region of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, several prefectures away from the Congyun Sea. However, with teleportation formation, the journey wouldn’t take long.
Li Fan agreed without hesitation.
“By the way, Fellow Daoist Ximen, regarding those locations I commissioned you to search for, which remain elusive, you mentioned they might have fallen within the range of the White Mist Barrier.
“Could you mark their potential locations on a map for me?” Li Fan asked before their communication ended.
Ximen Yu was surprised. “Could it be that you plan to venture into the White Mist?”
“It’s not necessarily so; it’s just a thought, nothing more. After all, the Devouring White Mist is fierce—who would risk their life going in there without reason?” Li Fan smiled but didn’t admit anything. “Perhaps one day, when my lifespan is nearing its end, I might go and explore it for a bit.” Ɍα₦ǒᛒЁṢ
“That’s good. I thought I’d run into another lunatic,” Ximen Yu muttered.
“Another lunatic? Daoist Ximen, what do you mean by that?” Li Fan grew curious and quickly asked.
“Ah, nothing special. When we were surveying the terrain earlier, I witnessed a deranged cultivator repeatedly rushing in and out of the White Mist Barrier.”
“At first, he looked like a young man. Later, he became old and decrepit. I don’t even know if he’s still alive now.”
“I tried to persuade him, but he wouldn’t listen. He just kept babbling about some great secret hidden in the White Mist Barrier…”
“Isn’t that nonsense? You need to stay alive to study it first,” Ximen Yu sneered with disdain.
As he spoke, he passed along a map marked with several points.
“I’ll try to figure out the remaining ones over the next few days. If I can’t crack them, I won’t bother contacting you again.” With that, the other end went silent.
Li Fan carefully examined the map. He noticed the markers were scattered across the territory of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Interestingly, when he deliberately chose these locations earlier, he had focused on regions concentrated within one or two neighboring provinces based on Linghu Chang’s memories.
This confirmed that Ximen Yu’s research was credible.
Indeed, the Xuanhuang Realm had been torn apart and reshaped.
Staring at the map, Li Fan remained silent for a long time. After a while, he thoroughly erased the map’s data.
“For now, I should focus on purchasing the materials for refining Longevity Pills through the Tianxuan Mirror. Once I’ve gathered enough, I’ll have Liu San use the Samantabhadra True Boat to venture into the depths of the White Mist Barrier and see if we can uncover anything.”
“If that fails, I can consider planting them in the wood-attribute domain of my Five Elements Cave Heaven.”
Currently, Li Fan’s Five Elements Cave Heaven was still in its embryonic stage.
In terms of size, scale, and spiritual energy concentration, it couldn’t yet compare to the one that previously sparked a war between the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association.
Fortunately, its essence was no different, and its potential was limitless.
“Planting spiritual herbs will also aid in refining the laws within the wood-attribute domain. But… specialization is key…”
Li Fan suddenly thought of Chen Ying, the Nascent Soul cultivator from the Medicinal Hall of Congyun Sea.
Since being conscripted into the Five Elements Cave Heaven, Chen Ying had vanished without a trace.
However, unlike in his past life, thanks to Li Fan’s warning, Chen Ying had not fallen yet.
He just couldn’t be contacted.
“He should still be in the Five Elements Cave Heaven, though I have no idea what he’s been up to.” Li Fan recalled that in his previous life, just a few years later, in Year 38, the Five Elements Cave Heaven collapsed into oblivion due to the extraction of vast resources, leading to an imbalance in its elements.
“I wonder if the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance will repeat the same mistake in this lifetime.” Li Fan was still unsure why the Alliance was so aggressively exploiting the resources of the Five Elements Cave Heaven. Yet, judging by Chen Ying’s continued absence, it seemed their operations there hadn’t ceased.
After pondering for a moment, Li Fan shook his head and dismissed the thought.
Just as he was about to return to Shenhua Island, a notification from the Tianxuan Mirror arrived.
The former island lord of Ten Thousand Immortals Island, Immortal Lord Hongxi—a Soul Transformation cultivator who had been conscripted into the Alliance’s headquarters for years—
Had finally returned.
He ordered Li Fan, the “Secret Envoy,” to report to him immediately.
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