At this moment, He Zhenghao had already cast aside his daughter’s warning.
In his mind, even if the process of refining the Spirit of Heaven and Earth was extremely dangerous, he was not a reckless person. He would act according to the situation—if it truly became impossible, he would not throw his life away in vain. Taking some risks to gamble on an opportunity to ascend in one leap—why not?
However, He Zhenghao could never have imagined that the true Spirit of Heaven and Earth was on an entirely different level from what he had envisioned.
Ultimately, it was a matter of his limited perspective. Despite his broad travels and wide social connections, He Zhenghao was only at the Golden Core stage. He had never personally seen, nor even found records in ancient texts, detailing the true power of the Spirit of Heaven and Earth.
He merely knew of its existence.
It was like a farmer imagining the emperor’s golden plow—far from reality. This, too, seemed to seal He Zhenghao’s tragic fate in this lifetime.
…
Meanwhile, while the gathered cultivators were still in the Administrative Hall discussing Li Fan’s prophecy regarding the underwater ascension of a hidden cave,
Li Fan himself had quietly arrived at the cave’s location.
This was the very place where, in his previous life, He Zhenghao had formed his Golden Core: the Three Undersea Faults.
“In my past life, He Zhenghao, though somewhat unremarkable, never lost his drive for progress. The day he obtained the Hidden Dragon Art of Rivers and Mountains, he soared like a dragon from the abyss and rose powerfully. By comprehending the Golden Core through four laws, his future was boundless.”
“But in this life, despite wielding far greater power and practicing a Dao Integration cultivation technique, he has been lax in his cultivation, forming his Golden Core with only a single law.”
“I gave you the opportunity, but you failed to make use of it.”
Li Fan felt a slight sense of regret in his heart.
Shaking his head slightly, he focused on the matter at hand.
Sweeping his divine sense across the mountainous faults below, his eyes narrowed slightly.
“Chaoyuan Sect…”
What he had said earlier in the Administrative Hall was no empty talk. Though the Chaoyuan Sect was shrouded in mystery and filled with dangers, in his previous life, after Shuofeng, Su Xiaomei, and the others entered, they all returned safely—and each had ascended an entire cultivation realm.
Setting aside the unexpected variable of He Zhenghao’s Foundation Establishment in the previous life, this ancient ruin was originally supposed to leave the Congyun Sea in the year 22 of anchoring and travel toward Jiushan State Prefecture.
Thus, at this moment, it remained silently hidden beneath the faults.
Having fully inherited the memories of Dugu Chang of the Medicine King Sect, Li Fan searched for traces of the Chaoyuan Sect within those memories but found nothing.
Not only that, but even the Cloud-Water Heavenly Palace, which claimed dominance over Congyun Sea, was similarly absent.
Neither sect could be found.
“Strange… Whether it is the Cloud-Water Heavenly Palace or the Chaoyuan Sect, the records in the Tianxuan Mirror indicate that they were renowned sects of ancient times. Although they couldn’t compare to the Ten Great Immortal Sects, they were definitely stronger than the Medicine King Sect.”
“So why do none of the Medicine King Sect’s disciples have any knowledge of them?”
“Could it be that they existed in entirely different time periods? Did the Cloud-Water Heavenly Palace emerge more recently?”
Li Fan pondered for a moment but could not find an answer. Instead, the many clues seemed contradictory, revealing numerous inconsistencies.
Temporarily setting aside his doubts, he turned his gaze toward the seabed below and activated the newly mastered divine ability—Heaven-Shattering Heart Sword. ř𝘼ＮöʙËŝ
In the next instant, countless sword lights appeared amid the continuous undersea mountain ranges.
Illuminating the dark seabed, they sent thunderous roars echoing in all directions.
As the mountains crumbled, massive fissures split open across the ocean floor.
As if torn apart by countless sword lights in an instant, the vast underwater wonderland, stretching for hundreds of miles, completely collapsed and disappeared the moment Li Fan willed it.
Amid this catastrophe, Li Fan finally discovered traces of the hidden Chaoyuan Sect.
There was no obstruction—he simply watched as the ruins of ancient structures rose from the depths, breaking through the water’s surface.
Smaller and smaller it became, until it finally took the form of a cave dwelling, drifting toward Jiushan Prefecture.
After reaching the Nascent Soul stage, Li Fan’s spiritual perception had become increasingly acute. The moment he directly faced the Chaoyuan Sect ruins, he even felt a faint sense of mortal danger.
“Opportunities in this world are endless. There’s no need to take this risk. Let others explore it first, and once the mysteries within are fully understood, I’ll reconsider.”
Watching the Chaoyuan Sect relics disappear into the distance, Li Fan thought to himself.
Though Li Fan himself remained indifferent, the emergence of the Chaoyuan Sect ruins caused an uproar among the cultivators.
Moments ago, he had just informed everyone that a mysterious underwater cave dwelling had appeared. Many cultivators hadn’t even left the Administrative Hall yet when the relics surfaced.
What a coincidence!
Some cultivators even suspected that the cave dwelling was a fabrication by Li Fan—an elaborate ploy to once again showcase his unfathomable prophetic abilities.
However, this theory was quickly dismissed. The reason was simple—the ancient and solemn aura radiating from the Chaoyuan Sect ruins was impossible to fake.
Furthermore, due to the immense attention the relics attracted, cultivators working together soon identified the origins of the Grand Hall of Taiyuan within the ruins.
The Ancient Immortal Sect—Chaoyuan Sect!
A seasoned Soul Transformation cultivator, well-versed in the history of ancient cultivation, personally vouched for its authenticity, solidifying the relics as genuine.
As a result, cultivators from across Congyun Sea and even throughout the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance were drawn in by the allure of this so-called “fortuitous encounter,” pursuing the ruins on their journey.
Among them was someone Li Fan hadn’t expected.
Inside the Administrative Hall
“You’re going too? No matter how great the Chaoyuan Sect’s opportunity is, it still can’t compare to… Or are you just going to observe for a while and then return?”
Facing Gao Yuan’s farewell, He Zhenghao was completely taken aback.
“Heh. After returning, I kept feeling like something was off. I pondered for three days and nights before I finally figured it out,” Gao Yuan said with some emotion.
“To forge iron, one must be strong themselves. No matter how favored I am by my lord, my cultivation is still only at the Golden Core stage. Here in Congyun Sea, I might still hold some authority. But if my lord truly succeeds in his Dao Integration breakthrough, his subordinates will inevitably be filled with Soul Transformation and Nascent Soul cultivators. How could I possibly command respect? To better follow in my lord’s footsteps, I, Gao Yuan, must fight for my own strength!”
He Zhenghao, however, was not convinced by these righteous words. He scrutinized Gao Yuan with a skeptical gaze.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Gao Yuan chuckled. “I’m not lying to you this time. I’ve already applied for leave from my lord and will be departing immediately.”
“What about you, Daoist He?” Gao Yuan gave He Zhenghao a meaningful look.
He Zhenghao hesitated for a moment but ultimately declined the invitation, citing the need for someone to maintain and oversee the affairs of Congyun Sea.
Seeing this, Gao Yuan said no more. He cupped his hands in farewell and swiftly departed.