Chapter 601-605: Xuan Huang Without War (6k+ words)
"Almost there."
"Wait a bit longer."
In a murmuring tone, including Hanhai, everything in the Cloud-Water Celestial Palace, including the adventurers and Li Fan's clone, returned to their original states in an instant, as if undisturbed for millions of years.
It was as if no one had bothered them during all those millennia.
As for the cultivators exploring the Cloud-Water Celestial Palace, including Li Fan's clone, they all turned into powder and dissipated in the air with a gentle press of the Heavenly Doctor's hands.
There was no room for any resistance.
In fact, Li Fan's clone, Zhou Qing'ang, didn't even know how he died.
As for Li Fan's main body, he felt the giant hands of the Heavenly Doctor pressing down, and he lost the connection to his clone.
"What does it matter if I destroy you?!"
"Phew." Despite losing the clone, Li Fan breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.
"It seems I made the right bet. Even someone as strong as the Heavenly Doctor would never guess that the ant he just crushed was secretly plotting against him."
However, there was no expression on Li Fan's face.
Because the true strength exhibited by the Heavenly Doctor in this battle had reached an unimaginable level.
In Li Fan's original plan, even if the old fisherman was insane and had partial amnesia, and the Sage's transformation was bizarre and his strength greatly diminished, the combination of the two should have given the Heavenly Doctor some trouble.
But the result...
The disparity in strength between the Heavenly Doctor and the two was like the difference between Li Fan and them, seemingly spanning several major realms!
They were not even close to being opponents of the Heavenly Doctor.
To the point that Li Fan's plan to give the Heavenly Doctor some trouble became a self-defeating joke!
The old fisherman and the Sage, undoubtedly top powerhouses under the realm of longevity, were still played with like insects by the Heavenly Doctor.
Such strength...
"The Heavenly Doctor, has he already ascended to the realm of longevity?"
Li Fan couldn't help but think so.
Otherwise, there was no way to explain why the Heavenly Doctor was so powerful.
"What is the principle he goes against?"
"Silent and unknown to others. Could it be that he's the one who disrupted the principle of life and death, causing the failure of Blue Feather's enlightenment?"
"The relationship between the Heavenly Doctor and the Ten Thousand Immortals League, what exactly is it?"
"Come to think of it, I've never seen the Heavenly Doctor represent the Ten Thousand Immortals League. Even in the last life, during the most intense battles between the Profound Net and the rebellious cultivators..."
There were too many doubts, all of them surging into Li Fan's mind at once.
Originally, Li Fan thought that this time he could at least get a glimpse of the Heavenly Doctor's bottom line.
Who would have thought that the more he knew about him, the more mysterious and unfathomable he seemed.
"I better not provoke him unless I reach the realm of longevity."
Li Fan sighed and reluctantly made a decision.
Even with the treasure "True Return" in his possession, in the face of such an absolute difference in strength, he had to temporarily avoid direct confrontation.
Otherwise, after walking the night road so many times, not every encounter would be as lucky as this, escaping the Heavenly Doctor's detection.
Suppressing his frustration and doubts, Li Fan took half a day to gradually calm his emotions.
Replaying the scenes in the Cloud-Water Celestial Palace within his mind, Li Fan's thoughts began to churn again.
"The Heavenly Doctor, Tian Jue, Tian Yu..."
"All have 'Heaven' as the beginning, and all are old acquaintances. Everyone in the Cloud-Water Celestial Palace refers to them as 'Venerables.'"
"It's obvious they share a common origin."
"The Profound Sky Sect?"
Based on the clues he had now, Li Fan almost subconsciously drew this inference.
But he felt something was off in his heart.
In Zhao Shijie's illusion, the two had a somewhat in-depth conversation about the Profound Sky Sect, an ancient giant that once dominated the Xuan Huang Realm.
The Profound Sky Sect, usurping the mandate of heaven, wielding heavenly authority, suppressing all living beings.
The leaders of the sect often considered themselves Heavenly Kings or Law Kings.
And these people like the Heavenly Doctor...
It seems that they regard heaven as supreme.
The voices accompanying Sage's reading have been repeating phrases like "Heavenly laws are strict, and the rules are revered" and "Heavenly laws must not be violated."
It doesn't seem like they have the same origin as the Xuan Tian Sect that Li Fan knows.
"With their cultivation, it's impossible for them to have appeared out of thin air, leaving no traces at all."
What exactly...
Li Fan couldn't help but fall into contemplation.
---
Inside the Cloud-Water Celestial Palace, an earth-shattering scene unfolded.
However, the Sea of Clouds outside the Cloud-Water Celestial Palace seemed oblivious to this event.
Except for the Cloud-Water Celestial Palace ruins, which had just appeared and now mysteriously disappeared again, there were no other effects on the Sea of Clouds.
But the top powerhouses of the Xuan Huang Realm are not only limited to Heavenly Doctor.
Ordinary cultivators might be unaware, but the Longevity Venerables of the Five Elders' Council would definitely sense something.
And starting from the smallest disturbance, Li Fan had spent a considerable amount of contributions, continuously collecting information that might be overlooked by ordinary people.
Finally, he found some clues.
Firstly, after the battle in Tian Lingzhou, the border regions where some cultivators were still stationed within the territory of the Five Elders' Council were all recalled within a few days.
It was as if they had truly given up on any plans for war for a very long time.
Afterward, the Five Elders' Council surprisingly sent envoys proposing a friendly exchange plan between the two sides.
They said that due to the prolonged opposition between the Five Elders' Council and the Ten Thousand Immortals League, they had become somewhat unfamiliar with each other.
They suggested taking advantage of this rare opportunity after the great war to exchange ideas and promote friendly communication.
For this proposal, there hasn't been an official response from the Ten Thousand Immortals League yet.
However, the attitude of the Five Elders' Council was intriguing.
You must know that with their five Longevity Venerables, the Five Elders' Council had always been unyielding, unwilling to reason if they didn't have to.
Now, they unexpectedly took the initiative to propose friendly exchanges, trying to ease the tensions between the two sides?
Uninformed cultivators thought that perhaps the Ten Thousand Immortals League had subdued the Five Elders' Council in the Tian Lingzhou battle.
But Li Fan knew that this must be the work of the Heavenly Doctor, noticed by the five Venerables.
"The previous war may have had the purpose of testing whether the transmission method was still intact."
"Although it didn't lead to the transmission, it did reveal the Heavenly Doctor's true identity."
"The fact that the Five Elders' Council is so wary, could it be that the Heavenly Doctor has truly reached the realm of longevity?"
Li Fan still had some doubts about this.
Because based on his shallow understanding of the realm of longevity, after going against the principles of heaven and earth, one becomes part of the world.
The aura of the Longevity Venerables should belong to the "Heavenly Dao" and should be very conspicuous.
It should be as distinct as distinguishing between cultivators and ordinary people, like two completely different species.
But every time Li Fan saw the Heavenly Doctor, he did not sense the "Heavenly Dao."
Instead, the aura of "human" was still very strong.
In short, the Heavenly Doctor did not seem like a powerhouse of the realm of longevity.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 602: Plans Before the Sea of Fire
When Li Fan faced Zhao Shijie in the broken illusion during his travels in the Five Elders' Council, he felt a chill in his heart as if confronting the vast universe.
While Heavenly Doctor was undoubtedly strong, he didn't evoke this kind of feeling in Li Fan. Even the giant hands that instantly suppressed the Fisher and Master, though powerful, didn't bring about a fundamental transformation in Li Fan's perception.
This instinctive feeling is profound and inexplicable, beyond words.
But Li Fan had a faint sense that it should be true.
"Regardless of whether Heavenly Doctor is in the realm of longevity or not, he has shown a combat strength that makes the longevity realm wary."
"In front of such a cultivator, even if there are more cannon fodder, it's meaningless."
"The five Venerables will definitely not personally take action, so the war has been halted."
Li Fan pondered, considering how the appearance of Heavenly Doctor would influence the course of history in the Xuan Huang Realm.
Suddenly, a response came from a surveillance that had been monitoring for a long time without results.
"Hmm?"
Li Fan's attention instantly crossed thousands of miles, landing on Yinshan Island in the Sea of Clouds, on Yin Shangren.
After studying the Immortal Mortal Pestilence for a long time, it seemed he had finally discovered something.
At this moment, he fell to the ground, at a loss.
"No, no, this must be a mistake."
"This is impossible!"
Yin Shangren's face was full of an uncontrollable horror.
As if he had discovered something he couldn't accept, he violently tore at his own hair, desperately trying to calm himself down.
"No, no, no!"
However, he couldn't control himself.
It seemed that what he discovered had greatly shaken his worldview, almost driving him mad.
Continuously banging his head on the ground, not caring even though blood flowed, he seemed to lose track of time.
"Surely I made a mistake. How could there be such a person in the world?"
"How could he be such a person!"
"Start over!"
Seeming to find hope in proving himself wrong, Yin Shangren quickly got up, not even bothering to wipe the blood from his face.
He released several mortal test subjects again, extracting Immortal Mortal Pestilence from them and resuming his research.
...
"This Yin Shangren, he seems to have gone mad. I wonder what he discovered."
Li Fan frowned.
"Another enigmatic person."
"Why not just perform a soul search to find out the truth!"
A hint of hostility flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
However, this thought was quickly suppressed by him.
Although Yin Shangren seemed to have only Foundation Establishment cultivation on the surface, various strange things emanated from him.
It couldn't be ruled out that he was pretending to be weak. If Li Fan forcibly performed a soul search, it might be countered.
"Endure!"
The Xuan Huang Realm is full of hidden experts.
Li Fan, who had suffered consecutive blows from Ruo Mu and Heavenly Doctor, couldn't help but twitch his face. He took a deep breath, calming the restlessness in his heart.
"Continue to monitor. Hopefully, before he self-immolates, I can glimpse the truth."
For the next period, Li Fan first re-summoned his clone.
For this, he specially returned to the bottom of the Sea of Clouds, digging up the coffin where Zhou Qing'ang was buried.
Looking at Zhou Qing'ang still immersed in a dream, sleeping soundly with a smile on his face, Li Fan snorted.
"Knowing nothing might be a kind of happiness."
This time, he extracted more drops of blood and replenished some spiritual stones in the stone coffin to maintain his vitality.
After that, he reburied Zhou Qing'ang.
Familiar with the process, he once again created a clone.
However, everything that the clone carried before turned into ashes.
Returning to the Sea of Clouds City would inevitably bring some trouble.
However, overall, it was a minor issue that wouldn't affect the bigger picture.
While the clone rushed back to the Sea of Clouds City, Li Fan stood on the sea, gazing at the sky.
The **Heaven and Earth Qiankun Dice** suddenly appeared in his hand, with lights flickering on it.
Before long, Li Fan understood in his heart.
"As predicted earlier, it seems that the date for the Burning Sea of Scarlet Flame will be significantly earlier."
"..."
"Generation of Heaven, huh."
After contemplating for a while, Li Fan ultimately shook his head.
"It's better to come sooner; it will burn away all traces."
"As for whether to release Mo Sha again..."
Li Fan remembered his plan for Heavenly Sun True Immortal.
"We'll ask him when the time comes."
"Whether to live as a Nascent Soul for a lifetime or take the chance to pursue the Dao, let him decide."
"However, considering his character of 'Heavenly Sun for a lifetime, not inferior to humans,' I estimate he will most likely choose the latter."
Shortly after, Li Fan's thoughts suddenly paused.
"Previously, I always thought that after refining the Scarlet Flame and successfully achieving the Dao, facing Mo Sha would be a death trap."
"But Heavenly Sun is somewhat special. He has died once before."
"Now, he is more like a puppet attached to a trace of Heavenly Sun's obsession than a living being."
"There might be a chance to escape death."
"Mo Sha's apocalyptic events were limited to the Sea of Clouds. If he flees far away..."
Li Fan was quite tempted to have a Dao-combative force at his disposal.
Originally, in Li Fan's concept, Mo Sha was almost equivalent to an invincible existence.
However, after witnessing the true strength of Heavenly Doctor, this viewpoint quietly changed.
The Heaven's End Sword could contend with Mo Sha for a long time in the apocalyptic events.
It showed that Mo Sha was not invincible.
"It's worth a try."
"Even if it fails, it won't result in much loss."
So Li Fan made the decision.
Calculating on his fingers, it had been fifteen years since the anchoring.
The Scarlet Flame was about to descend soon, and preparations needed to be made in advance.
"Fifteen years of anchoring..."
Li Fan suddenly felt a movement in his heart, meditated for a moment, and took out a communication talisman from his storage ring, contacting Jiao Xiuyuan.
Unexpectedly, Jiao Xiuyuan refused the call.
After a while, Li Fan contacted him again.
Jiao Xiuyuan rejected it again.
Li Fan wasn't angry and continued persistently.
After six attempts, Jiao Xiuyuan finally answered the communication.
"Hmph, Fellow Jiao has become prosperous lately? Turning your back on old friends?" Li Fan coldly snorted.
"Oh, no, no. It's just that something important came up just now, and I couldn't get away!" Jiao Xiuyuan said with a hint of grievance.
"Fellow Jiao, your excuse is quite crude. Who doesn't know that you have tens of thousands of incarnations? Can't even one of them handle things?" Li Fan was skeptical.
"Hehe, Fellow Daoist is indeed unpredictable! You actually knew that I was about to break through recently?" Jiao Xiuyuan asked in surprise.
Li Fan fell silent for a moment.
"Hehe, but this breakthrough is a bit more difficult than expected. If there are no other fortuitous encounters, it may be delayed for a long time." Jiao Xiuyuan expressed some regret.
"Oh? Why is that?" Li Fan casually asked.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 603: Ultimate Cultivator of Immortality
"My path lies in **commerce**. In **profit**."
Jiao Xiuyuan sighed, "In this world, all lands are driven by profit. Commerce is flourishing in the world."
"Therefore, I refine countless puppets, observe the gains and losses in the world, and cultivate through this."
"The accumulation of assets is initially very rapid. It's almost like climbing a step every day, and my cultivation realm is also rising step by step."
"But after reaching a certain level, the expansion of **Qianli Hall** slowed down."
"I stagnated in cultivation for a long time. I originally thought that with the insights gained from this huge profit, I could make a breakthrough in one fell swoop. Unexpectedly, I still lacked a bit of ignition."
"The so-called 'look at the mountain and run to death,' I thought it was just in front of me, but I didn't expect there were still thousands of mountains and rivers ahead."
Listening to Jiao Xiuyuan's sighs, Li Fan couldn't help but nod slightly, understanding the immense gap between the Dao of Commerce and the Dao of Immortality, which he had witnessed not long ago.
At this point, Jiao Xiuyuan continued, "Moreover, I found that the path of commerce, at my current level, has become difficult. Trying to progress further is truly extremely difficult!"
Without waiting for Li Fan to ask, Jiao Xiuyuan answered himself, "Take the recent incident with the Universal Tranquil True Leaves as an example. Under absolute ideal conditions, we should have made much more profit. Purely from a **commercial** perspective, at that time, the price of Universal Tranquil True Leaves had skyrocketed. The Wan Xian Alliance controlled the Five Elements Grand Cave Heaven, and there was a huge abundance of Universal Tranquil True Leaves inside. We could have profited greatly from it, but a simple announcement brought everything back to its original state."
"Saying it's for stability is just for self-interest..." Jiao Xiuyuan grumbled.
Hearing this, Li Fan, with a thoughtful expression, said, "Fellow Jiao means that profit is earned from others. When it reaches a certain level, wanting to progress further inevitably leads to conflicts with others."
"Exactly!" Jiao Xiuyuan praised.
"If the other party is weak, you can directly crush them. But if the other party is a strong wall, rushing into it will only result in a broken head."
"At this time, you have to detour around the wall."
"But in this world, it is ultimately under the rule of the Wan Xian Alliance and the Five Elders. Avoiding these constraints is not easy."
"Dancing with shackles on is even more difficult."
Li Fan listened and smiled disdainfully, "So, it's not Fellow Daoist's fault, but a fault of this world!"
"Everywhere is restrained by others, truly unpleasant. Fellow Daoist, why not join me in overthrowing the Wan Xian Alliance and creating a new world! What do you think?"
Jiao Xiuyuan suddenly fell silent.
He looked at Li Fan with a peculiar gaze.
For a moment, a strange silence fell between the two.
"Hehe, Fellow Daoist is joking."
"Haha, just a joke, Fellow Jiao, you don't take it seriously, do you?"
After a while, both voices sounded simultaneously.
After exchanging a glance, the two chose to actively skip this topic.
"Speaking of which, how do you envision the development of your ultimate path?" Li Fan asked.
Jiao Xiuyuan contemplated for a moment and slowly replied, "The world's assets are limited. The richer the winner, the poorer the loser."
"If I keep making profits, the world's wealth will flow to me continuously. Sooner or later..."
"Perhaps my wealth alone will surpass the combined wealth of everyone in the world."
Jiao Xiuyuan's eyes revealed a look of longing.
Unexpectedly, after Li Fan heard this, he lightly laughed.
Jiao Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows, "What? Does Fellow Daoist have a different perspective?"
"It's too small, the vision is too small. I originally thought Fellow Jiao was the smartest person in the world, but unexpectedly..." Li Fan shook his head slightly, looking quite regretful.
"Huh?" Jiao Xiuyuan's eyes flashed with a hint of gloom.
"If it's truly the ultimate, why should there be assets in the world that don't belong to Fellow Daoist? Shouldn't everything in the world belong to Fellow Daoist, and the rest owe Fellow Daoist?"
"Fellow Daoist should know, the total wealth in the world has a limit. But..."
Li Fan's tone was grim, "The debts owed to Fellow Daoist by others won't have a limit."
"Ten, hundred, thousand, million, trillion, it can accumulate infinitely."
"Not only in this life, but also in the lives to come, for endless generations and descendants, you will labor forever to repay the debt owed to Fellow Daoist!"
Li Fan's words were like thunder, instantly hitting Jiao Xiuyuan.
The gloom in his eyes instantly dispersed, replaced by a look of shock.
"This... Can it still be like this?"
Li Fan's words seemed to open up a whole new world for him.
At first, his eyes were confused, but they gradually brightened and became more excited.
Before long, as if he had suddenly realized something.
"Exactly, exactly!"
"For a moment, gaining profits is ultimately limited."
"But time is limitless. If I distribute the goals I want to achieve across the river of time..."
Jiao Xiuyuan immersed himself in his own fantasy, his eyes filled with excitement.
"Li Fan, is this the future path you've extrapolated for me?"
After a long time, he finally came back to his senses and looked at Li Fan.
Li Fan shook his head, "I wouldn't dare claim credit. It was just a glimpse of a possible future during my daily contemplations."
"I felt that, perhaps, this world could be beneficial to Fellow Jiao's path, so I made a note of it."
"Today, seeing Fellow Daoist, I decided to share it with you."
"Fellow Jiao, don't think my thoughts are absurd!"
Jiao Xiuyuan's eyes flickered, "Fellow Daoist's ability to extrapolate is truly astounding. To be able to foresee such a bizarre future."
"However, why did Fellow Daoist come to me today and specially point it out to me..."
He looked at Li Fan, somewhat puzzled.
Li Fan smiled, "I said you've prospered and turned your back on people, don't deny it."
"Fellow Daoist, don't tell me you've forgotten my previous request."
Jiao Xiuyuan was stunned for a moment, then reacted.
"You mean..."
"With Fellow Daoist's cultivation, forgetting is naturally impossible. But since there hasn't been a reply for such a long time, I figured there might be some difficulty in speaking. However, this matter is still somewhat important to me. So, I can only be shameless and bother Fellow Jiao!" Li Fan cupped his hands solemnly.
Jiao Xiuyuan looked at Li Fan, and for a moment, his expression changed.
Five years ago, he promised Li Fan to help inquire about the identity of the ancient cultivator they sought within the ancient sect ruins explored by the Wan Xian Alliance.
He did go to investigate.
Originally, he didn't take it too seriously, just thinking of casually inquiring for some information to fulfill the task.
To his surprise, the usually leaky Wan Xian Alliance, which struggled to keep any secrets, managed to keep this matter unexpectedly well.
Even for him, who had leaks like a sieve, he spent one or two years investigating with no results.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 604: Hidden Azure Skies of the Profound Heavens
Now Jiao Xiuyuan was genuinely curious.
Information was an opportunity for business and a potential breakthrough.
So, he exerted great effort, engaged in infiltration, and attempted subversion.
Despite spending a fortune, no cultivator was willing to disclose any information.
They hinted that this matter was of great importance, unlike anything before.
If word got out, it might lead to serious consequences, possibly even loss of life.
Given the circumstances, Jiao Xiuyuan reluctantly had to abandon his efforts.
With no results, there was naturally no reply to Li Fan.
Just as he was about to forget this matter, an opportunity arose.
Shortly after the end of the Battle of Tianlingzhou, a cultivator with a tight-lipped demeanor and a vow of secrecy secretly contacted him.
Jiao Xiuyuan was somewhat surprised.
The person admitted that the situation had changed, and the secrecy level of the matter had been lowered.
However, appropriate compensation was still necessary.
So, Jiao Xiuyuan, paying a price even he found a bit painful, learned the secret.
It did shock him.
Such confidential information could not be shared freely with Li Fan.
Moreover, Jiao Xiuyuan doubted Li Fan could afford the price to buy such top-secret information.
Therefore, he chose to forget about it actively.
Until today, when Li Fan came to him.
"The ultimate future of cultivation..."
"That's quite sufficient."
Instantly, various thoughts flashed through Jiao Xiuyuan's mind.
He finally made a decision.
"Oh my, look at my memory; I almost forgot!" Jiao Xiuyuan patted his own head.
"To be honest, Fellow Daoist, the matter you asked me to investigate is a top-secret of the Immortal Alliance. Even if someone offered a high contribution level, I wouldn't reveal a bit."
"But well..."
Jiao Xiuyuan looked at Li Fan and emphasized, "What kind of relationship do you and I have? We've made money together, and today, you've given me guidance."
"It's fine to inform you for free."
"However, this matter is not convenient to discuss via communication symbols. If Fellow Daoist is genuinely interested, please come to the nearest Qianli Hall to find me."
Li Fan's gaze slightly tightened.
It seemed that this matter was indeed not trivial. Even Jiao Xiuyuan was so cautious.
He nodded and ended the communication.
After thinking for a moment, he returned to the Cloudmist Sea using the teleportation array.
In the Qianli Hall shop in the Cloudmist Immortal City, he found Jiao Xiuyuan.
After politely asking the few customers to leave, Jiao Xiuyuan closed the door. It seemed like he had set up some kind of isolation prohibition around them before starting to explain the situation to Li Fan.
"Do you know about the Profound Heaven Sect?" Jiao Xiuyuan immediately asked a explosive question.
Li Fan's eyes flickered, and he nodded slightly.
"The ancient cult that everyone should eliminate."
Although the existence of the Profound Heaven Sect is not known to the world today, as a cultivator of the Ancient Celestial Sect, Li Fan is naturally aware of the existence of the Profound Heaven Sect.
Jiao Xiuyuan wasn't surprised by this.
He continued, "The dormant ancient cultivator that the Wan Xian Alliance found this time is one of the twelve Law Kings of the former Profound Heaven Sect."
"?" In an instant, a burst of brilliance erupted in Li Fan's eyes.
"A Law King of the Profound Heaven Sect? And he's still alive?" he couldn't help but ask.
"That's right. When I first learned about it, I was also shocked. This guy managed to survive for so long, spanning multiple eras..."
"After all, he was the existence that once dominated the Xuanhuang Realm. Indeed, he possesses some extraordinary insights," Jiao Xiuyuan sighed with emotion.
However, Li Fan immediately fell into contemplation.
According to the previous intelligence from the Five Elders Council, this ancient cultivator was excavated by the Wan Xian Alliance from the ruins of the Zixiao Sect.
However, the true identity of this individual remained unclear.
Moreover, he seemed to be extremely important to the Five Elders Council, prompting Li Fan to inquire on their behalf.
Originally, Li Fan thought it might be someone related to Zhang Qianmo, but he never expected it to be a survivor of the ancient Profound Heaven Sect.
A Law King from the Profound Heaven Sect hiding in the Zixiao Sect? Li Fan was puzzled.
"Wait a moment..."
Li Fan recalled something, his gaze shifting.
In the Illusionary Realm of the Meteor Immortal Stage, from Song Hesong, the manager of Ningyuan City, Li Fan learned that about two hundred years ago, during the Zixiao Sect's centennial celebration, special envoys from the Ten Immortal Sects arrived.
They came to investigate a wanted criminal hidden within the Zixiao Sect.
In the end, it was inconclusive. They only captured an inner disciple as a scapegoat.
"Could it be that the one lurking in the Zixiao Sect back then was this Profound Heaven Sect Law King?"
"And the Ten Immortal Sects didn't discover him; they just caught a scapegoat?"
After understanding this connection, Li Fan was shocked.
Observing Li Fan's changing expression, Jiao Xiuyuan also pondered.
Continuing, he said, "The reason why the Wan Xian Alliance went to great lengths and spared no effort to excavate relics everywhere was to find this Profound Heaven Sect Law King."
"It is because this person is related to the Xuan Tian Sealing Spirit Array."
Jiao Xiuyuan paused, observing Li Fan's expression before continuing, "The specific details are not very clear."
"But it seems that he is a crucial component for maintaining the formation."
"At that time, the Wan Xian Alliance placed their hopes of victory against the Five Elders Council on the Xuan Tian Sealing Spirit Array."
"Naturally, they were extremely strict in overseeing this Law King, not allowing any mistakes."
"What's strange is that even with such precautions, the information somehow leaked."
"This extraordinary killing weapon, the Five Elders Council managed to find a way to decipher it in a short period."
"Completely contrary to common sense. Who would believe that there wasn't an insider? Given the complexity of the formation, even if the Primordial Celestial himself were alive, it would be unlikely for him to crack it so quickly without any prior knowledge."
Jiao Xiuyuan sighed, "But this traitor has concealed himself deeply. Despite the Wan Xian Alliance's thorough internal investigations, they still haven't found him. It's quite astonishing!"
"It is indeed a bit unbelievable," Li Fan said with a calm expression, expressing a bit of amazement.
"I even feel that it's possible that someone within the Wan Xian Alliance intentionally leaked the formation's secrets to prevent the war from becoming too one-sided," Li Fan casually remarked.
"That's not likely, a bit too..." Jiao Xiuyuan chuckled, but his expression suddenly stiffened.
"Perhaps not entirely impossible." After a long time, he looked serious.
Li Fan was momentarily speechless.
"By the way, what's the name of this Profound Heaven Sect Law King? What does he look like?"
"The Zixiao Sect..."
"I knew quite a few people from their sect back then," Li Fan inquired.
Jiao Xiuyuan was still lost in thought about the previous question and casually said, "Right, you and him are from the same family, it seems."
"His name is something like... Li Chen?"
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 605: Dao Mark of the Outside World
"Li Chen?!"
In an instant, the face of a delicate young man flashed through Li Fan's mind.
"He turned out to be the hidden Law King of the Profound Heaven Sect? How is that possible?"
Li Fan was deeply shocked.
This Li Chen was none other than the person Li Fan had possessed during the incident in the Meteor Immortal Stage's Illusory Realm (Ningyuan's Longevity Fruit).
An inner disciple of the Zixiao Sect, and also a junior fellow apprentice of Zhang Qianmo!
However...
Li Fan had descended into the Meteor Immortal Stage and taken his place many times already.
He was well aware of the memories in the other's mind.
Li Chen was just an ordinary child from a mountain village, chosen by the Zixiao Sect because of his good aptitude in cultivation. There were no memories belonging to an ancient Profound Heaven Sect Law King.
"There are three possibilities. One, this Law King is like a divine soul, parasitizing Li Chen's body. The reflection in the Meteor Immortal Stage, created by the dying Meteor Immortal, is just the innate self. The other foreign entities within the body won't be replicated."
"The second possibility is that during the time of the incident with Ningyuan's Longevity Fruit, the Law King had not yet occupied Li Chen's body. It was only after Li Chen was severely injured in this recent event and brought back to the sect by Zhang Qianmo that the Profound Heaven Sect Law King, hidden within the Zixiao Sect, took advantage of the opportunity and possessed Li Fan."
"The last possibility is..."
"The Profound Heaven Sect Law King's cultivation is immense, and he has hidden himself deeply. Even the Meteor Immortal, who can see through everything in the world, cannot see through the secrets on him."
"So, what was created in the Meteor Immortal Stage is only superficial."
After a detailed analysis, Li Fan thought that the third possibility was unlikely.
If even a desperate Law King had a cultivation comparable to a Meteor Immortal, how powerful was the entire Profound Heaven Sect during ancient times? They wouldn't have been overturned by an alliance formed by the Ten Immortal Sects.
"Within the Meteor Immortal Stage, it is almost identical to the real world. Even the trajectory of spiritual energy and the operation of techniques can be restored. The lingering soul within the body should not escape the scrutiny of the Immortal's Divine Eye."
"So, it should be that after Li Chen fell into a coma, the Profound Heaven Sect Law King seized control?"
"The actual state of this Profound Heaven Sect Law King may not be too good; he can only be considered to be barely surviving. After escaping the pursuit of the special envoys of the Ten Immortal Sects during the downfall of the Profound Heaven Sect, he continued to hide within the Zixiao Sect. During this period, he might have changed several bodies until he finally became Li Chen."
Based on various information gathered from different sources, Li Fan peeled back the layers to reconstruct a possible truth.
Then, he suddenly felt a surge of excitement.
The Profound Heaven Sect Law King had existed since the ancient cultivation era.
The countless secrets he might know were undoubtedly numerous.
If he could extract his soul...
"It's definitely worth a try."
"When the Wan Xian Alliance discovered him in this world, the Law King was still in a deep sleep. His defensive abilities are probably not that formidable."
"If I can control him, I can not only learn many secrets and techniques but also secure a position in the Xuanhuang Realm without having to disguise myself as a Meteor Immortal cultivator every time, reducing the risk of exposure."
Li Fan's heart moved slightly.
"However, I can't be careless." He immediately had second thoughts.
"Although the Profound Heaven Sect Law King is probably not in good condition, considering his cultivation in the longevity realm, who knows what other cards these ancient powerhouses have hidden. It's still necessary to send a clone to investigate first."
"It's worth taking a gamble. After all, it won't be more dangerous than scheming against the Heavenly Doctor."
Numerous thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
Even though his facial expression hardly changed, the change in emotions was still perceived by Jiao Xiuyuan.
With a hint of curiosity in his eyes, Jiao Xiuyuan couldn't help but ask, "Could it be, friend, that you and this Li Chen are indeed old acquaintances?"
Li Fan shook his head slightly and quickly replied, "We can't be considered old acquaintances, just had a few encounters."
"But at that time, I thought he was just an ordinary disciple of the Zixiao Sect. I never expected..."
"It's true that you can't judge a person by their appearance!"
Li Fan sighed.
Jiao Xiuyuan also knew that Li Fan must be concealing the truth. However, everyone has their secrets, and he had no intention of probing further.
"Hehe."
Chapter 606: Ciphers of the External Dao
"Why is this friend inquiring about the identity of the dormant ancient cultivator and the reasons behind it?" Jiao Xiuyuan asked tentatively.
Li Fan arched his hand, "Just acting on someone's request."
Jiao Xiuyuan nodded thoughtfully and didn't say more.
The two exchanged pleasantries once again.
As they were about to part ways, Li Fan casually asked, "By the way, those small Medicine King Cauldrons you were commissioned to excavate before, are they still in your possession?"
"They were sold a long time ago," Jiao Xiuyuan replied.
"You were quite indifferent back then, so why bring it up again now?" He was curious.
"Just a whim, just thought about it and asked. Friend, don't think too much about it," Li Fan mysteriously smiled, evading the question. Then he turned and left the Qianli Hall.
He left behind Jiao Xiuyuan, whose face was filled with doubt, his brow furrowed, standing in place.
But he didn't stop him.
---
After leaving, Li Fan first returned to the Tianxuan Mirror to search for the small Medicine King Cauldrons.
According to Jiao Xiuyuan, the Medicine King Sect's ruins had been sealed by the Wan Xian Alliance. Anything valuable inside had been taken during the thorough excavation. He had only managed to excavate two of them.
However, when Li Fan checked, there were a total of seventeen small Medicine King Cauldrons available for sale in the market.
All these were clearly leaked from within the Wan Xian Alliance.
Li Fan was already accustomed to such situations.
The true purpose of the small Medicine King Cauldrons was still unknown to the world.
Li Fan, being rich and powerful, instantly bought all these stray small Medicine King Cauldrons.
This sudden change immediately caught the attention of some people.
"Friend Li Fan, was it you who made a move?"
"What's the secret behind these small Medicine King Cauldrons?"
"Did you come up with another deduction?"
Jiao Xiuyuan, who had just interrupted communication, hurriedly sent inquiries.
"Guess."
Li Fan replied with a smile and didn't care about the other party's reaction.
The "Only Hand Over Heaven" technique shrouded his body, and he headed straight for Cangwu Prefecture.
Almost without stopping for a moment, he continued to teleport consecutively.
After a small half-day, he had arrived at the Abyss of Cangwu.
After purchasing a travel guide for the Abyss of Cangwu, Li Fan followed the route traced in his memory from the previous life of Xiao Fan and his group, making his way down.
He passed through the "Forest of Spirit Speech" and the "Puppet Gorge," reaching the "Lost Enigmatic City" located a hundred thousand feet underground.
After spending some effort, he finally found the location where the Medicine King True Cauldron would eventually fall.
Yes, Li Fan planned to wait here, "fish in troubled waters," and wait for the arrival of the celestial meteor.
Inside the Medicine King True Cauldron were all the Medicine King Sect cultivators who had been forcibly put into a dormant state.
They were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
(End of this chapter)