Chapter 122: Returning to Yunshui Palace

As more and more people entered, the sound of reading inside the house grew louder. Li Fan listened carefully, faintly discerning a few phrases: "Heaven's law is solemn; one must respect its rules and abide by its regulations." "I have now obtained the Dharma and will spread it among all beings." "Heaven's law cannot be violated."

"Heaven's law..." Li Fan recalled what he knew but couldn't find any related information. He wondered how this place was connected to the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace.

Li Fan chose not to enter for two reasons. Firstly, as he had mentioned before, this opportunity was of little use to him, being already at the perfected Qi Condensation stage. Secondly, he still had some reservations. Could this strange place truly be without any danger, simply offering benefits for free? Li Fan didn't believe it. He decided to let these people test it out first. If it truly was as good as it seemed, he could always come back in his next life. Li Fan cultivated the Hundred Generations Law, not the One Generation Law; missing opportunities was not an issue for him.

Another day passed amidst the clear sound of reading. The next day, when the cultivators awoke from the ground, every single one of them had advanced a minor realm. They were overjoyed; a single night's progress was worth countless hours of arduous cultivation! Consequently, like the six people before them, they all began contacting friends to come to this place. Gradually, more and more people learned about this opportunity. A continuous stream of people arrived, all with joyful expressions. Li Fan merely observed in silence.

Before the green ox cart entered the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace, Li Fan made a rough estimation. Approximately two Nascent Soul cultivators, six Golden Core cultivators, nineteen Foundation Establishment cultivators, and several Qi Condensation cultivators had entered the thatched hut.

Even the liveliest gathering must eventually end. A month later, the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace, suspended in the sky, was finally visible in the distance. The green ox cart had finally reached its destination. Li Fan and the other cultivators all chose to keep their distance from the ox cart, watching from afar.

"Moo!" The green ox let out a bellow, its four hooves seeming to tread on air as it ascended. Pulling the two-wheeled flat cart behind it, it rose from the sea surface into the sky. Then it charged straight towards the azure, transparent Cloudwater Heavenly Palace. Green and blue light intermingled and flashed. Without a sound, the ox cart quietly vanished into the Sea of Clouds.

All the cultivators present sighed with a sense of regret. Over a dozen cultivators, perhaps emboldened or having previously ventured into the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace, driven by curiosity, also flew inside. Li Fan, as before, used his Formless Killing Intent to lock onto one of them. Following him, his perspective shifted, and he arrived at the long-unseen Cloudwater Heavenly Palace.

In front of the towering gates, the green ox shrunk to its normal size. Pulling the two-wheeled flat cart, it slowly advanced, then suddenly stopped as it passed the Qin Tang stone statue. The thatched hut's door burst open, and a scroll of bamboo slips flew out. The bamboo slips flew before the Qin Tang stone statue, and a nearly transparent figure emerged from them. The figure appeared old, its face indistinguishable.

"Qin Tang..." He stared at the statue, pierced through the heart, silent for a long time before speaking slowly. The Qin Tang statue seemed to stir suddenly. Then, with creaking sounds, it truly tilted its head at a strange angle. Staring at the aged figure before it, a faint, almost inaudible voice suddenly emanated from the Qin Tang statue. "Fu..." "Zi..."

Though soft, the voice was like a clap of thunder, instantly echoing throughout the entire Cloudwater Heavenly Palace. "Fuzi..." "Fuzi..." "Fuzi..." From various locations, different voices—some filled with pain, others with bewilderment, relief, or contentment—came and continuously reverberated. They overlapped, like a symphony from hell, echoing within the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace.

Li Fan also saw that in the depths of the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace, where the Taiyi Palace stood, the turtle-snake Taiyi seemed about to awaken from its slumber, revealing its monstrous body. However, a phantom of a broken sword blade suddenly appeared. This shattered sword was deeply embedded in Taiyi's body, with only a short section exposed. It was entirely black, exuding overwhelming malevolence! The broken sword trembled slightly, producing a grating sound like metal scraping against a whetstone. In the void, countless sword shadows rained down, fiercely piercing the turtle-snake monster's body. "Pain..." Taiyi wailed madly, its body forced to shrink back into the Taiyi Palace.

Outside the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace, Li Fan was deeply shaken by what he saw. The broken sword embedded in Taiyi's body seemed to be the same one whose hilt he had previously seen contending with Qing Feng. They were part of the same weapon!

In front of the Qin Tang statue, the Fuzi's transparent figure looked toward the Taiyi Palace's location and sighed deeply. Then, Fuzi extended his hand and grasped the bamboo slips. With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked up at the sky. He took a deep breath. Fuzi's figure instantly swelled; in a short while, he stood like a giant who had opened the heavens, reaching up to the sky. His hair and beard bristled as he glared angrily forward, roaring, "Heaven!" "Physician!"

Fuzi's roar instantly spread throughout the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace. Immediately after Fuzi's roar, various parts of the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace first fell into a deathly silence. Then, a chorus of resentment soared into the sky. "Heavenly Physician!" "Heavenly Physician!" "Heavenly Physician!" The ceaseless shouts, filled with despair and hatred, sent shivers down Li Fan's spine, even though he was outside the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace. The desperate roars echoed through every part of the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace, causing the entire massive structure to shake and tremble incessantly. The white mist that had previously enveloped every building churned like boiling water, as if the beings tormented within for thousands of years were all about to break free.

High above the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace, in front of Fuzi's colossal body, a small white jade statue suddenly appeared. With its appearance, all the strange entities within the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace erupted into a complete riot. Angry and desperate cries, like a surging river, became ceaseless. Cracks appeared on the ground, and the entire Cloudwater Heavenly Palace threatened to tear itself apart amidst this turmoil.

The white jade statue glowed faintly, instantly transforming to the size of a normal person. Its face was benevolent, and its hair was white. It was indeed the mysterious old man whom Li Fan's clone, Lin Fan, had encountered before. Ignoring the roaring, wave-like shouts from below, the Heavenly Physician smiled faintly. "Everyone," he said. "Long time no see."

Fuzi's colossal body trembled all over, his face contorted with hatred. He gritted his teeth, attempting to say something, but only one word escaped his lips: "Die!" The sky seemed to darken, as if boundless killing intent was coalescing. Fine lines instantly appeared on the Heavenly Physician's body. However, he simply patted himself, and the fine lines vanished in an instant, as if they had never appeared. The Heavenly Physician smiled at Fuzi. "Is there really a need to get so angry over a fight?" he said. His smile abruptly vanished, and the Heavenly Physician's face grew utterly cold. "Being easily angered is a sickness. A sickness... must be cured."

Outside the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace, Li Fan's expression changed, and he instantly activated all his defensive talismans. Then he accelerated to his maximum speed, retreating into the distance. A shockwave erupted from the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace. In an instant, it swept across the entire Sea of Clouds. Its momentum then continued, spreading towards the surrounding states. For a moment, the entire cultivation world sensed what was unfolding at the Sea of Clouds. Several vast consciousnesses seemed to exchange thoughts before all falling silent.