Chapter 124: Strange Luck Is Not Destiny

Since the introduction of fish gambling, it had become the most popular activity among cultivators in the Congyun Sea.

Especially the last fish betting event at the end of each year, which attracted so many cultivators that they practically filled the solitary island. Everyone dreamt of getting rich overnight.

At the end of year 16, Li Fan also joined in the excitement of the fish betting. He discovered that there was indeed more to this activity than mere luck; it involved certain intricacies.

The fish in this island lake originated from various parts of the Congyun Sea. Those that managed to travel millions of miles to reach this place were all exceptionally strong. During the twenty-seven-day observation period, these fish had to secure their survival position within the lake while also accumulating strength to prepare for their final leap into the sky. On the day the lake water finally erupted, the position of each fish, as the water splashed, largely determined the height of its ultimate leap.

Millions of fish, their destinies intertwined, struggled for survival in this lake. The sole lucky one not only had to defeat its rivals but also rely on the "heaven's will" of the lake water to emerge as the final victor. How incredibly difficult it was!

Li Fan's divine sense flowed among the tens of millions of fish, wandering for a long time, yet he couldn't find a particularly suitable one. In the end, just before the deadline, he arbitrarily chose a fish that looked relatively strong. However, this fish failed to survive the remaining three days; it was devoured by two other fish before the lake water even erupted. Li Fan shook his head, resigning himself to bad luck.

When the final results were revealed, the fish that leaped highest above all others turned out to be a sickly and unremarkable white pomfret. This fish had previously barely managed to survive in the lake, yet it was the one that had the last laugh. Through playback of the scenes recorded by the Memory Stone, the cultivators discovered that this white pomfret had incredibly good luck. When the lake water erupted, it happened to be precisely at the point of the most intense current. Coupled with the strength it had been accumulating, various factors combined allowed it to soar to the heavens and claim victory.

No one could have predicted it; they could only watch this white pomfret with a sense of regret. Li Fan, however, used his Formless Killing Intent to lock onto it, carefully committing its appearance to memory. "I wonder if it will still be this fish that wins in the next life?" Li Fan mused inexplicably.

When the fish betting concluded, some were joyous, others sorrowful. Nevertheless, what needed to be done, was done. A group of cultivators worked together, and soon, all the fish in the lake, except for the white pomfret, were instantly refined into vital essence. The white pomfret consumed this essence, and its body instantly swelled several times its original size. Its teeth became as sharp as blades, and blood-red stripes appeared between its scales, from which a fierce aura emanated. In a short time, this white pomfret had undergone a transformation that other fish might not achieve even in a lifetime of strenuous effort.

After releasing the white pomfret back into the sea, the cultivators departed together. Li Fan followed them. Halfway through their flight, Li Fan suddenly froze. This was because, in the perception of his Formless Killing Intent, the aura of the newly transformed white pomfret was rapidly fading.

"Hmm? What's happening?" Li Fan was curious and immediately activated his Heaven's Sight and Earth's Hearing technique. In his vision, five ugly and exceptionally fierce fish were ganging up on the white pomfret. Each of these fish was no weaker than the freshly transformed white pomfret. With a collective assault, how could it possibly resist? It was quickly severely wounded and on the verge of death.

Li Fan saw clearly that the vital essence in these five fish was mixed, indicating they had not evolved naturally to their current state; there were clear signs of artificial cultivation. "Interesting. Are these the fish that won in previous years?" Li Fan instantly understood the cause and effect. These fortunate fish, blocked by the array outside the isolated island, could not re-enter the lake to participate in the fish betting. However, they had subtly developed intelligence and knew that a new "Fish Champion" would be born here every month. So, they guarded this spot, jointly ambushing and killing these newly born fish champions, and devouring their flesh and blood. Unable to gain fortune themselves, devouring those who did achieved the same effect.

Under Li Fan's gaze, the white pomfret, which the cultivators had just hailed as "destiny's chosen" and "incredibly lucky," instantly vanished, its bones and flesh consumed within the bellies of the five fish. Only a faint crimson bloodstain slowly rising from the seabed proved its past existence. After the five strange fish had eaten their fill, their vital essence expanded further. They left, shaking their heads contentedly.

Li Fan watched this scene from afar, lost in thought. Upon returning to Myriad Immortals Island, he chose not to cultivate in the Heavenly Profound Mirror. Instead, he squinted, looking up at the sky, then at the statue of the high-crowned old man on the island, who seemed to overlook all beings. His feelings deepened even more.

"Perhaps there is nothing new under the sun..." Li Fan realized.

Time flowed steadily onward. By mid-year 17, Zhang Haobo's cultivation had already broken through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Li Fan had observed him for a while and found that he no longer repeatedly practiced the Divine Sea-Calming Sword Art. Instead, he had resumed his pursuit of the wind. However, unlike before, at every site of a wind disaster, Zhang Haobo would dance his sword with the wind. One hundred and eight Divine Sea-Calming Swords combined into a gigantic blue sword. In Zhang Haobo's hands, it cleaved against the howling gales, striking against the current. The roaring wind disaster seemed to weaken under his repeated sword strikes. But this trend was very subtle; it would be hard to notice unless one possessed Li Fan's Heaven's Sight and Earth's Hearing, which clearly perceived the changes in spiritual energy flows between heaven and earth.

Zhang Haobo, however, remained unfazed by success or failure. He persevered, pursuing one wind disaster after another, refining his sword intent in the wind. "It seems he's not far from another breakthrough," Li Fan thought, feeling no envy for his rapid progress. From the moment he bore the power of Reversion to Truth and entered the cultivation world, Li Fan knew that cultivation speed was not that important to him. Accumulating experience over countless lives, building an incredibly solid foundation, was what he should be doing. And now, after seeing the white pomfret devoured, he was even more certain of his judgment. Only by cultivating through a hundred lives could he have a slight chance of escaping this deadlock.

Li Fan's days on Myriad Immortals Island remained as peaceful as ever. By mid-year 17, Li Fan had accumulated over 8,000 contribution points and purchased two low-grade Human Oddities. He went out once and unlocked the second anchor point for Reversion to Truth. He temporarily decided not to set the anchor directly, intending to see the unlock condition of the third anchor point before making a decision.

However, not long after, Li Fan's peaceful life was disrupted. He received a summons from the Heavenly Secrets Hall of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, requiring his assistance in investigating a mysterious death case involving two Nascent Soul cultivators, six Golden Core cultivators, nineteen Foundation Establishment cultivators, and numerous Qi Refining cultivators.