The Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance’s representative “Wu” displayed extraordinary skill, his moves creating an immense commotion.
Meanwhile, the Five Elders Association’s representative was no ordinary figure either. He was not the green-robed youth seen earlier, but a cold-faced, lean middle-aged cultivator exuding a murderous aura.
Countless silver rays descended around him but were effortlessly neutralized by the swirling gray-white energy emanating from him.
“Ice!”
The cold and indifferent voice of the lean cultivator rang out. Before his words faded, the space surrounding him seemed to freeze, as if encased in ice.
A chilling aura spread outward from him as its origin, seemingly capable of freezing even time itself. When a silver ray approached the cultivator, it froze mid-air on the spot.
As the frozen domain expanded, more and more silver rays became immobilized.
Only then did Li Fan clearly see the dancing silver serpents in the air, which turned out to be an array of various weapons: swords, spears, halberds, axes, and hooks.
Despite his moves being countered, “Wu” showed no trace of anger on his face. Instead, he clapped joyfully and laughed, then pointed lightly at the lean cultivator. His smile disappeared, replaced by a solemn and murderous expression.
An invisible surge of lightning passed through the frozen domain, and cracks started to spread toward the lean cultivator.
However, just as the lightning was about to strike his body, the swirling gray energy reappeared, blocking it.
Within the gray aura, black streaks briefly emerged before vanishing, leaving behind a bleak, ghostly gray light.
“Wu” pointed again, unleashing another series of deadly strikes.
The lean cultivator, unchanged in expression, calmly called out: “Wind!”
A fierce gust of wind erupted from nowhere. Li Fan saw the invisible lightning, which had pierced through the frozen domain, being blown back as if carried away by the wind. It turned around and struck toward “Wu.”
“Wu” furrowed his brow and summoned silver light to shield himself.
The crackling sound of colliding energy resonated continuously around him.
“This is more like it…” Although the spectacle left Li Fan puzzled, he could sense the brilliance of the battle between the two.
Not wanting to miss a single detail, he focused all his attention, carefully observing and recording every ripple of energy fluctuation on the battlefield.
Beside him, Immortal Lord Hongxi did the same. However, his gaze occasionally fell on Li Fan, a thoughtful expression flickering across his face.
While Li Fan was immersed in the enthralling duel between two geniuses of the Xuanyuan Realm, the outside world had gradually calmed down from discussions about the “Friendly Exchange Meeting.”
Life had returned to normal, with more cultivators choosing to enhance their insights through secluded meditation.
At this time, Zhou Qingang, who meticulously managed the daily affairs of the Congyun Sea, received an intriguing report from Zhao Changli, the guardian of Liuli Island. ȑα𐌽ỗ𐌱ËŞ
Zhao Changli had succeeded He Zhenghao in his role. Li Fan had met him during his visit to Liuli Island when he explained and clarified his fundraising plans to the Congyun Sea cultivators.
Cautious, meticulous, and attentive, Zhao Changli was unfortunately not talented in cultivation. Being born a mortal and having limited resources, he barely reached the Foundation Establishment stage.
The report read:
“Recently, the production of Liuli Pills, a specialty of Liuli Island, has sharply declined. Upon careful investigation, I discovered that the liuli fish near the island have almost disappeared. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Additionally, discussions with the guardians of other islands revealed that this issue is not unique to Liuli Island.
There may be significant changes occurring within the Congyun Sea. However, my abilities are limited, and I cannot ascertain the cause. This leaves me deeply anxious. I respectfully report this matter and await your wise directive.”
Looking at the familiar report, Li Fan smiled faintly.
“This man is commendable—a rare talent. Although his cultivation aptitude is lacking, his ability to observe subtle signs and deduce the impending disaster in the Congyun Sea is remarkable.”
Li Fan subtly glanced up at the sky.
“So, it’s finally about to happen…”
After staring for a long while, Li Fan finally withdrew his gaze.
He did not respond to Zhao Changli’s report but chose to leave it unaddressed, continuing to handle other matters instead.
A true battle between geniuses would clearly not be decided in a short period of time.
Time flew by, and it wasn’t until nearly twenty days later that the clandestine contest between the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders Association finally concluded.
Above the mountain’s peak and sea of clouds, all the scenes vanished without a trace.
The energy receded, and the great seal was once again concealed beneath layers of white clouds.
Li Fan exhaled slowly.
This time, he had gained a lot from observing the battle.
However, the sudden influx of information was overwhelming, leaving him unable to process it all immediately. He would need some quiet time to reflect and comprehend.
“How do you feel?”
The Immortal Lord Hongxi asked lazily as usual.
“This humble one is dull-witted and could only barely understand what was happening,” Li Fan answered cautiously.
Hongxi chuckled but did not refute.
“Understanding a little is enough. By the way, when you return, write an essay reflecting on the battle you observed. It should include, but not be limited to, a comparison of the strengths between the core members of our Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders Association, potential future developments, and possible breakthroughs.”
“The more detailed, the better,” Hongxi suddenly added.
“Huh?” Li Fan was startled by his words.
Hongxi, however, continued as if it were only natural, “Did you think that watching this remote [True Scene Reappearance] was free of charge? You should know that every moment of activating this feature costs countless contributions.”
“Many people would kill for this opportunity. What’s wrong with asking you to write a reflection?”
“Besides, this is an assignment handed down from above. It’s also considered part of the administrative achievements of our Congyun Sea. Don’t slack off.”
Hearing this, Li Fan could only remain silent.
He cupped his hands in acknowledgment, indicating that he understood.
“Go quickly, and make sure to send it to me as soon as possible,” Hongxi said, waving his hand. The mountain-top and sea-of-clouds scene abruptly disappeared.
The two returned to the administrative hall.
After bidding farewell, Li Fan returned to the Tianxuan Mirror.
Seizing the moment while the memories were still fresh, he activated the “Awakening” state and swallowed a Dao Enlightenment Pill.
Reflecting and comprehending the scenes of the battle between geniuses, his mind immersed itself fully.
After some unknown amount of time, when he finally awoke from his epiphany, a sharp gleam shot out from his eyes before quickly retracting.
“Battling against geniuses—divine abilities and techniques cannot be as invincible as they are against ordinary cultivators.”
“For example, my Congyun Sword and Heaven-Overturning Palm are both incredibly powerful. But hitting the swift martial artist or the emaciated cultivator who seemed capable of freezing everything was an arduous task.”
“Only by mastering more divine abilities and merging them seamlessly to act as one with my will can I gain an absolute advantage.”
“In the end, it’s still due to insufficient real combat experience.”
…
Li Fan pondered for a moment and then opened the long-unused [Sitting and Discuss Dao] section within the Tianxuan Mirror.
Using the Congyun Sword and Heaven-Overturning Palm as templates, he virtually created a character.