Shuo Feng’s voice grew quieter and quieter.
In the end, as it became almost inaudible, the scarlet snowflakes falling from the sky also disappeared without a trace.
As if it had all been nothing more than an illusion.
“Was it merely a coincidence, or was it his extraordinary fortune leading him to avoid disaster?”
“Or perhaps, Immortal Sage Fei Xue has always been watching over Shuo Feng, unwilling to let him suffer harm? And upon seeing him about to step into danger, intervened to stop him?”
Li Fan remained silent, turning his gaze toward the stone statue of Han Yi.
After a moment of contemplation, he descended to the ground and activated the Heavenly Mandate Domain, walking step by step toward it.
His pace was extremely slow because he was carefully sensing the power of fortune absorption in the surroundings.
Since he was already infinitely close to the state of a “Fortune-less Being,” he was particularly sensitive to changes in his own destiny.
It was like a hole had been pierced in a cup of water—his already near-nonexistent fortune was rapidly draining away. The moment the last trace was completely exhausted, he saw dense black mist beginning to swirl above his head.
An intense, ominous feeling surged through his heart, as if an impending catastrophe was about to befall him in the next moment.
Li Fan quickly retreated, retrieving the fortune stored within the Black Bird Feather at the same time.
Even though his reaction had been swift, the effects of the drained fortune were immediate. As he stepped back, he stumbled, almost falling to the ground.
A Nascent Soul cultivator like him—one who had formed his Nascent Soul using the Five Elements Cave-Heaven, the pinnacle of methods—was actually tripping while walking?
And yet, such an illogical event had truly occurred.
Li Fan dared not hesitate. While firmly engraving the sensation into his memory, he accelerated the process of replenishing his lost fortune.
Once he had stabilized himself and retreated to a safe distance, Li Fan discovered that nearly half of the fortune stored within the Black Bird Feather had been consumed just to dispel the ominous black mist above his head.
“Even from this distance, so much fortune has already been drained. This Fortune-Draining Statue is truly terrifying. Even someone as blessed as Shuo Feng wouldn’t have been able to resist it and would have been completely drained. No wonder his mother took him away.”
“This is not something mortal power can resist—unless…”
“Worldly Fortune.”
A thought suddenly struck Li Fan, and he immediately recalled the world where Xiao Hei had perished.
That Beast Realm’s fortune had clearly been refined and integrated by Xiao Hei. But not long ago, Xiao Hei had fallen for unknown reasons, causing that fortune to shatter and scatter everywhere.
Even with Han Yi’s meager cultivation back then, he was able to absorb and control the free-floating Worldly Fortune.
With the Black Bird Feather in hand, Li Fan would undoubtedly have an even easier time absorbing the World’s Fortune.
“Moreover, a drop of Xu Ke’s essence blood was also buried there. It seems I must make a trip.”
“There are many powerful beast species hidden within that small world. In the past, when I was merely at the Nascent Soul stage and alone, I would have had some concerns. But now…”
A sharp glint flashed in Li Fan’s eyes.
He temporarily withdrew from the fortune-draining field and returned to Longevity Valley, summoning Liu San.
Just as he was about to instruct Liu San to lead a group of Medicine King Sect disciples into the Beast Realm to clear out potential threats, Li Fan suddenly sensed something amiss and hesitated.
“Young Master, what troubles you?”
Liu San looked at Li Fan with a hint of confusion.
Li Fan pondered for a moment, then reviewed the records stored in the Dao Deviation Stone, and finally came to a realization.
At some point, he had once again forgotten about the calamity that had befallen Congyun Sea.
“I wonder what Congyun Sea looks like now. Is it a void of nothingness, or a barren wasteland?”
“If it has already turned into the void, then does the entrance to the Beast Realm still exist…?”
As thoughts raced through his mind, Li Fan’s expression grew solemn.
“On my recent journey, I discovered something utterly terrifying.”
Without delay, Li Fan told Liu San about how Congyun Sea had been destroyed and how the world had gradually forgotten about it.
“Congyun Sea?” Liu San was initially puzzled, but then, as the memories resurfaced, his face turned pale with shock.
“It’s fortunate that, due to our move to Longevity Valley, we unknowingly avoided this calamity,” Li Fan sighed.
But Liu San was more focused on the fact that he had forgotten about Congyun Sea’s destruction.
“To make the entire world forget without them even realizing it… Is this the power of the New Method Longevity Immortality?”
Liu San, whose understanding of Longevity Immortal Sovereigns was still rooted in ancient times, was deeply shaken.
After all, as one of the strongest Dao Integration cultivators of the Medicine King Sect, he had once met the Longevity Immortal Sovereigns of the Ten Great Immortal Sects.
Although he had never considered himself their equal, he had at least believed he could put up some resistance.
But now…
In an instant, Liu San’s pride shattered. The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.
Noticing Liu San’s abnormal state, Li Fan reassured him, “Elder Liu, there is no need to dwell on this. The world has changed, and although the title ‘Longevity Immortal Sovereign’ remains the same, the New Method Longevity Immortal and Ancient Method Longevity Immortal are clearly not of the same level anymore.”
Despite his deep trust in Li Fan, Liu San took a long time to calm down.
After a prolonged silence, he sighed deeply before turning to Li Fan and saying, “Today, I have finally witnessed the power of the New Method Longevity Immortal. Before, I was merely a frog at the bottom of a well.”
“The gap between the New and Old Method is this vast…”
“Young Master, I wish to transition to the New Law cultivation method.” Liu San solemnly declared.
Li Fan was not surprised by this decision at all. He nodded in approval, “I support you! Elder Liu, reigniting your ambition is a blessing for our Medicine King Sect. Who knows? You might attain enlightenment and achieve Longevity Immortality. If that happens, with a Longevity Immortal Sovereign watching over us, our sect will finally return to the world openly and proudly.”
“However…”
Li Fan’s tone suddenly shifted. “The Old and New Laws cannot be cultivated together. If Elder Liu wants to advance further and defy the natural order, he must completely rebuild his cultivation with a different Dao Integration technique.”
“First, such techniques are incredibly rare. Second… the refinement of the Longevity Pills still requires your expertise.”
Liu San immediately understood Li Fan’s meaning. His previous enthusiasm dimmed slightly.
The gap between ideals and reality forced him to make a choice.
However, as someone devoted to the Medicine King Sect, Liu San only hesitated for a moment before making his decision.
“I understand, Young Master. For now, I will prioritize the revival of our sect,” he said with some regret.
Li Fan smiled faintly. “Elder Liu, you misunderstand me. I fully support your transition to the New Method, and your cultivation breakthrough does not contradict our sect’s revival.”
“It just requires some preparation, that’s all.”