Liu San did not answer immediately but pondered for a moment before asking a question.
“Does the Young Master know if the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance has any similar strongholds within the White Mist Barrier?”
Li Fan was slightly taken aback. “What does Elder Liu mean by this?”
Stroking his beard, Liu San slowly explained, “Earlier, while maneuvering the Samantabhadra True Boat through the vast white mist, I happened to glimpse a group of cultivators acting strangely.”
“They had no protective measures and were exposed directly to the essence-devouring white mist, moving sluggishly as though searching for something.”
“What was even more peculiar was that I could not sense any signs of life from them. At first, I thought they were corpses acting purely on instinct. But just as I was about to approach and investigate, one of them seemed to notice me and turned their head. At the same time, I felt a spiritual sense probing me.”
“At that time, my main task was to locate the Longevity Valley. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I sent out a spiritual message indicating I had no malicious intent, then withdrew on my own initiative.”
“Since Longevity Valley is hidden within the White Mist, it is possible that our Medicine King Sect may encounter these individuals again when entering or exiting. It would be wise to prepare in advance.”
As Liu San narrated this incident, Li Fan’s expression gradually became serious.
Almost instantly, Li Fan recalled the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance cultivators from his previous life, who emerged from the White Mist over four hundred years later—dead yet still alive.
“Have they already succeeded in reversing the principles of life and death?”
Li Fan immediately asked Liu San for more details about those cultivators.
After a brief exchange, Li Fan’s heart settled slightly.
“Wandering mindlessly like walking corpses—they are still far from truly being reborn after death. However, they indeed exhibit characteristics of life emerging from dead bodies.”
This mysterious Longevity Immortal Heavenly Sovereign, who reversed the principles of life and death and secretly proved their Dao without anyone noticing, was utterly enigmatic.
Even in his past life, up until the unification of Xuanhuang and the establishment of the Heavenly Alliance, this person never revealed themselves.
Clearly, they intentionally concealed their identity. Regardless of their motives, it was evident they did not wish to be disturbed.
“This matter is undoubtedly bizarre, but it has nothing to do with our Medicine King Sect. If the sky falls, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance can hold it up. If we encounter them again, we should simply avoid them,” Li Fan instructed after pretending to deliberate for a moment. ṜáΝȰ𐌱Ɛs̩
Liu San also felt that Li Fan’s words made sense, so he nodded and did not dwell on the matter further.
“Longevity Valley is currently located within the White Mist Barrier, at the border of Luoyan Prefecture and Lueying Prefecture,” Liu San said as he took out a map and marked the location.
“It should be roughly here. The perception of distance within the White Mist may be slightly skewed, but the general direction is accurate.”
Li Fan glanced at the map and committed it to memory.
“It’s not far from Congyun Sea, so we can relocate there at any time. Moreover, Luoyan Prefecture is much more prosperous than Congyun Sea and would be a better springboard for the rise of our Medicine King Sect.”
“However, to avoid arousing Zhou Qingang’s suspicions, the affairs in Congyun Sea must be gradually and carefully detached,” Li Fan explained.
“Young Master can decide as you see fit. After so many years, a little more time won’t hurt. Besides, I’ve already resealed the entrance to Longevity Valley using secret methods. There is no way outsiders will detect it,” Liu San replied with a nod.
Having settled the matter, Li Fan returned to the main topic and proposed a sparring session.
Liu San immediately became interested and said, “It seems the young master has gained something new from his cultivation?”
“Indeed, Elder Liu, you don’t know. The Tianxuan Mirror of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance is truly a supreme artifact. It possesses all sorts of incredible powers, even assisting me in deriving divine abilities. Unfortunately, Elder Liu, your cultivation is too advanced, and your origins cannot be concealed. Otherwise, you could experience it yourself,” Li Fan remarked with a mix of awe and regret.
“Haha, no matter how many benefits it offers, my life has reached its peak. As long as you, the sect leader and the others, can enjoy them, it’s enough for me,” Liu San replied nonchalantly.
Afterward, the two went to the martial arts chamber of the Medicine King Sect to conduct a sparring session.
Although it was called sparring, it was merely Liu San acting as a training partner.
Even if the “Heaven-Shattering Heart Sword” was extraordinary, it was still difficult to span two major realms and cause any real harm to someone like Liu San, whose cultivation was at the Dao Integration level.
However, Liu San was full of praise for this divine ability.
“The young master is indeed worthy of being the designated successor by the sect master, to have comprehended such a profound divine ability.”
“One strike shatters the heavens, the sword moves at will. Its destructive power is astonishing, and it’s difficult to defend against. If you, young master, were to break through to the Soul Transformation stage, facing this divine ability would certainly be troublesome even for me.”
Liu San extended his left index finger and looked at a shallow blood mark on it as he spoke.
Looking at his “achievement,” Li Fan roughly estimated the power of the Heaven-Shattering Heart Sword.
In fact, he hadn’t used his full strength, only employing the power of one of his Cave Heaven domains.
If the power of all five elemental Cave Heavens were fully circulated, the explosive destructive power would likely be at least ten times stronger.
At that time, it wouldn’t be just a scratch.
“To wound but not kill. After all, the gap between Dao Integration and Nascent Soul is far greater than that between Foundation Establishment and Nascent Soul,” Li Fan thought to himself.
In the days that followed, Li Fan instructed Liu San to select some trustworthy individuals from the still-dormant cultivators of the Medicine King Sect and awaken them first.
Before long, the Crimson Flame will burn the sea, and the great calamity would descend. The foundations Li Fan had laid in this place would be buried along with it.
Reestablishing his identity later would not be easy.
Therefore, it was necessary to take advantage of this remaining time to expedite the process of integrating the Medicine King Sect cultivators into the alliance.
Liu San also understood the current situation. In an environment where dual cultivation of laws was no longer possible, cultivation methods were more precious than ever, especially high-level ones. Thus, he was particularly cautious in his selection. However, Liu San had never indulged in power struggles in his earlier years, focusing instead on cultivation and alchemy while following Liu Ruchen.
As a result, he had few confidants and only a general understanding of the disciples’ characters within the Medicine King Sect.
After much thought, he secretly approached Li Fan and suggested a method of “forcible control.”
Although this fit perfectly with Li Fan’s intentions, he still needed to act hesitant on the surface.
Pretending to hesitate, Li Fan lowered his head and remained silent.
Seeing this, Liu San persuaded him, saying, “Young master, you must understand that mercy has no place in leadership. The current circumstances are extraordinary and leave no room for error. Human nature is complex and unpredictable. You can’t expect everyone to be as devoted as we are, willing to give their all for the revival of the Medicine King Sect.”
As if recalling something, Liu San sneered, “There are quite a few traitors within the Medicine King Sect.”
“In those days…”
Liu San paused and continued, “Now that the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance is stronger than the Ten Great Immortal Sects, there’s no guarantee that when these people wake up and see the alliance’s grandeur, they won’t entertain the idea of defecting.”