Fallen Immortal Realm, Heavenly Sword Sect.
Three days later.
Inside a secluded chamber, Li Fan sat cross-legged in deep meditation, eyes closed in silence.
Surrounding him, dozens of Sword Qi coiled and circled in the air. These sword energies were as solid as metal, sharp enough to cut through gold and iron, even emitting a faint metallic gleam. Upon closer inspection, countless blurry sword shadows flickered and changed along the edges of the auras.
Before Li Fan floated a Sword Embryo, its essence completely absorbed and mastered.
“This Breath-Forming Sword Technique truly has its mysteries,” Li Fan murmured. He opened his mouth, and the dozens of razor-sharp Sword Qi howled as they returned to his body, once again nurturing within his core.
Inside his dantian, a golden core resembling a gaseous planet was now encircled by over ten thousand sword lights. The lights formed a dazzling, magnificent ring, mesmerizing to behold.
Only Li Fan knew the terrifying power hidden within this Sword Light Ring. If he were to unleash all ten thousand sword energies in a single breath, even a Nascent Soul True Lord of this era might perish instantly.
“Ji Zhaoxuan’s memories contain no knowledge of the origins of this technique. It seems to be nothing more than the Ten Thousand Swords Art—a common technique practiced by all core disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect. But clearly, very few in the sect achieve such a shocking phenomenon at the Golden Core stage.”
As his thoughts drifted, Li Fan fully restrained the overwhelming presence of his ten thousand sword lights within his dantian. He now exuded no sharpness, appearing just like an ordinary Golden Core cultivator.
Leaving the secluded chamber, Li Fan did not wait for Senior Brother Chu to summon him; instead, he proactively handed over the Sword Embryo.
Senior Brother Chu gave him a look of approval, as if to say, “At least you know your place.” He briefly examined the Sword Embryo, then casually stored it away.
“Just in time—Senior Brother has called everyone together. It seems there is an important matter to discuss. You will come with me.”
Hearing this, Li Fan’s heart stirred slightly. He nodded and followed behind.
The sect’s main hall stood atop the tallest mountain peak at the very center of the sect’s territory, piercing the sky like an unsheathed sword.
Inside the hall, many cultivators had already gathered—all of higher seniority than Li Fan.
Not knowing why Senior Brother Chu had brought him here, Li Fan simply followed and positioned himself at the edge of the crowd, waiting for Situ Yao’s arrival.
Before long, the once-buzzing grand hall suddenly fell into silence.
A strong aroma of alcohol filled the air, accompanied by a flash of sword light. Moments later, Situ Yao stumbled into the hall, reeking of liquor.
He let out a loud belch before speaking in broken sentences, revealing the reason for the gathering.
It turned out that the Prototype of the World-Rifting Divine Weapon had been completed. The next step was forging its sword body.
To achieve interdimensional travel, the weapon’s blade had to be incomparably sturdy. The key material required for this was [Taiyuan Essence Metal].
Although the sect’s treasury contained a fair amount of this material, it was far from enough to meet the requirements for forging the World-Rifting Divine Weapon.
Situ Yao was an unparalleled fighter, but in matters like these, he was at a loss. Thus, he sought the opinions of the assembled disciples.
He also laid out two conditions:
The forging of the World-Rifting Divine Weapon must remain a secret. While the sect was not afraid of battle, if other powerful sects joined forces against them, handling the situation would become exceedingly troublesome.
Minimize costs. Despite its wealth, the Heavenly Sword Sect could barely afford the immense resources required for forging the divine weapon. Apart from Taiyuan Essence Metal, over a thousand other rare and exotic materials were needed—nearly draining the sect’s entire treasury. Thus, it was crucial to acquire the resources with minimal expenditure.
Upon hearing Senior Brother Situ’s words, all the gathered cultivators revealed expressions of concern.
“Everyone, speak your minds and think of a solution. Whoever can resolve this matter, I will appoint them as the next Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect!”
Situ Yao slumped to the ground, completely lacking the demeanor of a high-ranking expert, yet the words he spoke were astonishing.
The current Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Huo Yuzhu, could only offer a bitter smile, not daring to refute him.
As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar erupted within the grand hall.
After all, who wouldn’t be envious of the position of Sect Master among the Ten Great Immortal Sects? Even if it didn’t hold much real power, the status and benefits far surpassed those of ordinary sect disciples.
The crowd’s expressions varied, but Li Fan keenly noticed that Senior Brother Chu’s gaze swept over him in an almost imperceptible manner.
“Hmm? What does he mean by that?”
Although Li Fan indeed knew where to find a large quantity of Taiyuan Essence Gold, that knowledge came from his past life, outside the Fallen Immortal Realm, within the Time Mirage of the Five Elements Grand Cave Heaven.
It had nothing to do with Ji Zhaoxuan, the person he was now inhabiting.
What exactly did Senior Brother Chu know? Why did he specifically call him over?
Retracing the memories of this body’s past, Li Fan found no close connection with Senior Brother Chu—at most, they were mere acquaintances who had exchanged nods.
Thus, he remained calm and composed, pretending not to notice the other’s gaze.
After the meeting concluded and he was on his way back to his own mountain residence—
Senior Brother Chu suddenly sent a voice transmission: “Junior Brother Ji, your Ji family should have quite a bit of Taiyuan Essence Gold, right?”
Li Fan was momentarily stunned. “What?”
Senior Brother Chu’s face showed a hint of dissatisfaction. “Junior Brother, don’t play dumb with me. Your Ji family is the most prestigious merchant chamber in the world. It’s said that you even possess half-immortal artifacts—so how could you possibly not have Taiyuan Essence Gold?”
As if a switch had been flipped, Li Fan’s mind was instantly flooded with memories of Ji Zhaoxuan’s past.
That was from when his original self was only five or six years old—
He had been sent away from his parents and placed in the Heavenly Sword Sect by his clan elders. He seemed to have been given some instructions back then, but over time, he had long since forgotten them.
If not for Senior Brother Chu’s words triggering these distant memories within this body, the possessed Li Fan might have remained completely unaware.
Connecting this to some of his own past peculiar actions, Li Fan suddenly realized the truth.
However, his expression remained unreadable, his face filled with confusion. “Ji family?”
After a brief pause, he reacted as if recalling something, a flash of anger and desolation appearing in his eyes.
With a cold voice, Li Fan said, “It has been many years since I’ve had any contact with them. Our ties have long been severed. Even if they do have Taiyuan Essence Gold, it has nothing to do with me.”
Senior Brother Chu chuckled, speaking in a persuasive tone: “Junior Brother, don’t let emotions cloud your judgment. I know you have many grievances, but think about it—if you could gain the full support of the Ji family’s World Chamber of Commerce, wouldn’t you have a real chance at competing for the position of Sect Master?”
“Even though our Heavenly Sword Sect is preparing to break through the realm and leave, there will still be things left behind—such as the vast sect lands and the governance of numerous affiliated sects. Offering just a portion of those would be an enormous profit for the World Chamber of Commerce.”
“A win-win situation—why not fight for it? Think it over carefully. If you’re interested, I can accompany you back home and act as a mediator.”
Senior Brother Chu patted Li Fan’s shoulder, wearing a meaningful expression.