Everything fell into place naturally, without the slightest obstruction.
When Li Fan awakened from his secluded cultivation, he had successfully broken through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage.
“It has already been anchored for seventeen years…”
“After all, I only had the assistance of the Enlightenment Pill. Without the spirit-awakening effects of the Tianxuan Mirror, my progress was significantly slower.”
He checked his internal state. The scale of the Five Elements Cave-Heaven within his body had expanded more than threefold compared to the early Nascent Soul stage. Each Cave-Heaven was now brimming with vitality, no longer as eerily still as before. However, the emergence of true creation was still a little way off. The circulation of the Five Elements’ power had accelerated noticeably, as if something was brewing within his Cave-Heaven world.
At this point, Li Fan had achieved complete control over his own Five Elements Cave-Heaven and the Beast Realm. He was akin to the very Dao governing these worlds.
Yet, upon closer comparison, he noticed many differences between the two.
The Five Elements Cave-Heaven had been seized from the Xuanhuang Realm. Although he had integrated it into himself using new techniques, it was akin to how a mortal, despite owning their own body, could not exert absolute control over every function. The operation and evolution of the Cave-Heaven mostly occurred autonomously, following a set of inherent laws. While he could perceive every change occurring within it, his current level of comprehension was insufficient to fully understand, let alone manipulate or create at will.
The Beast Realm, however, was different. Wind and rain, thunder and lightning, ice and fire—every manifestation of the world’s laws could be dictated at a single thought. If he wished, he could freeze the Beast Realm in a fixed state, preventing any future changes. At the same time, he could also reshape it as he pleased. Raising mountains or leveling rivers with a single thought was merely a trivial matter.
Li Fan gazed at the familiar image within the Black Bird Feather in his body, suddenly realizing everything.
Shifting his focus back to the Beast Realm, he saw that two years had passed, and the world had undergone drastic transformations. The concentration of spiritual energy had surged, now only slightly weaker than the Xuanhuang Realm. The once barren land had become lush and full of life.
Various spirit herbs and medicinal plants were now categorized and cultivated systematically. Surprisingly, those tending the spiritual fields were none other than the beast species. However, their necks bore no sign of the so-called “Beast-Controlling Rings” that Fang Zaiji had previously mentioned.
Li Fan scanned the entire world with his divine sense and found that only the most powerful exotic beasts bore any signs of control.
“As long as the rulers are subjugated, the rest will follow. Dealing with these beast species indeed requires little effort.”
At this time, Liu San and Fang Zaiji were nowhere to be found within the Beast Realm. Passing through the spatial passageway to Longevity Valley, Li Fan discovered that the two were gathered, seemingly deep in discussion.
Sensing Li Fan’s presence, both of their faces lit up with a trace of joy.
“Sect Master, you have emerged from seclusion!”
“What has happened? You both seem somewhat tense,” Li Fan asked as he stepped forward.
“Congratulations, Young Master, on advancing your cultivation once again!” Liu San sized him up with a smile.
Fang Zaiji, however, directly explained the reason for their solemn expressions.
About half a year ago, a group of cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance had arrived at the White Mist aboard the Samantabhadra True Boat. Initially, Liu San feared that their target was Longevity Valley and went on high alert, even mobilizing all the cultivators of the Medicine King Sect, preparing for the worst.
However, it soon became apparent that it was a false alarm. The cultivators did not stop at the entrance of Longevity Valley; their actual destination seemed to be even deeper within the White Mist.
Relieved, Liu San assumed that the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance cultivators were merely passing through by coincidence.
However, what happened next made Liu San realize that he had been gravely mistaken.
Over the past six months, every once in a while, dozens of Samantabhadra True Boats filled with cultivators would sail deep into the White Mist. They seemed to be carrying out some kind of mission, exuding a faint yet chilling aura of determination. Occasionally, some cultivators would retreat from the depths of the White Mist, looking dejected and gloomy.
These cultivators were generally not of very high cultivation levels, but to be safe, Liu San refrained from probing too deeply—he merely observed from a distance.
Although the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance cultivators did not seem to be targeting the Medicine King Sect, their frequent passage through the area was concerning. No one could guarantee that, by coincidence, they wouldn’t discover the location of Longevity Valley. And if they did, who could say whether a conflict with the Medicine King Sect would break out?
Because of this, Liu San and Fang Zaiji remained on high alert during this time.
“This… is this a covert operation by the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, or is it an open and large-scale action? Do ordinary alliance cultivators even know about this?” After listening to their report, Li Fan’s eyes flickered as he immediately asked.
“Ordinary cultivators are unaware of it—at least, from what we’ve gathered so far,” Fang Zaiji replied.
Li Fan pondered for a moment before saying, “Something about this is strange. We should stay put and observe for now. I’ll go out and investigate the truth before making a decision.”
Having full confidence in Li Fan’s abilities, the two immediately agreed.
Afterward, Liu San took out twelve jade bottles and handed them over. “These are the pills I refined during this period. Nine bottles contain a total of eighty-one Longevity Pills, two bottles hold twenty Supreme Emotionless Pills, and there is also one…”
Liu San paused for a moment, his expression turning slightly strange. “It is a Heart-Desire Ascension Pill.”
“Elder Liu, you’ve worked hard.” Li Fan put away the other pills and took the jade bottle containing the Heart-Desire Ascension Pill, intending to open it and inspect its contents.
But suddenly, Liu San stopped him.
“Is there something wrong with this pill?” Li Fan frowned.
Liu San let out a bitter smile. “This pill is not poisonous, but its actual harm is no less than that of the deadliest poisons in the world.”
“The Heart-Desire Ascension Pill is an extremely rare byproduct that can appear during the refinement of the Supreme Emotionless Pill. Any cultivator who consumes it will experience an overwhelming illusion of comprehending the Great Dao and achieving immediate ascension to immortality.”
At this point, Fang Zaiji added, “Furthermore, the more one consumes, the stronger this illusion becomes. In the end, those who become addicted to it will do anything just to relive the ‘taste of ascension’ once more.”
Li Fan instinctively tightened his grip on the jade bottle in his hand.
He now understood exactly what this so-called Heart-Desire Ascension Pill was.
“In the past, this pill caused massive turmoil, so it was completely forbidden under the jurisdiction of the Ten Great Immortal Sects . However, based on what our disciples have found, the current Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance does not seem to have banned this pill.”
“I thought this item might be of use to the Young Master, so I did not destroy it,” Liu San explained.