Chapter 157: Crazy Expansion

Two Soul Transformation Monarchs inexplicably disappeared. It sounded like a fantasy, but it truly happened.

These two had been competing annually for the ownership of the *Heavenly Capital Feather Transformation Art* in the Heavenly Capital Martial Arena ever since the Azure Feather Heavenly Venerate perished. For many years, no victor had been decided. Each competition attracted countless cultivators to watch, becoming a regular spectacle in Yuandao Province. Many cultivators from other provinces even traveled long distances to witness the grand battle between the two Soul Transformation Monarchs.

However, when the agreed date for their grand battle arrived this year, the Heavenly Capital Martial Arena was empty. Everyone waited for a long time, but Dugu Xi and Dugu Shi never appeared. At the time, the cultivators simply assumed the battle had been rescheduled and didn't think much of it.

It was only a few days later that shocking news emerged. The two Monarchs' relatives, friends, and subordinates tried every method imaginable but still couldn't contact them. They even enlisted the Divine Secrets Hall to perform divinations, yet not a single trace of the two could be found. It was as if they had vanished into thin air, with no one seen alive and no corpses found dead!

The Azure Feather Faction was most severely impacted. With two top combatants missing, panic spread throughout the faction. Nerves were frayed, and everyone eyed each other suspiciously, seeing potential masterminds behind the events.

After initial shock, other forces slowly came to their senses. The Azure Feather Faction was vast and seemingly indestructible, but that was in the past. Now, after years of internal strife and heavy losses, coupled with the inexplicable disappearance of two Soul Transformation Monarchs, how much strength did the Azure Feather Faction truly have left?

Greedy thoughts began to sprout in the hearts of numerous factions. A "Burning Feather Alliance" secretly came into being. First, there were small-scale skirmishes. Then, with the *Heavenly Capital Feather Transformation Art* as the fuse, large-scale bloodshed erupted.

This Dao Integration Grand Art had been divided into five encrypted jade slips by the Azure Feather Heavenly Venerate before his demise. Four slips were entrusted to his four most loyal subordinates for safekeeping. The remaining slip was given to the Myriad Immortals Alliance's most mysterious and reclusive Guardian Hall. Only by combining all five jade slips could the complete *Heavenly Capital Feather Transformation Art* be fully restored.

After the Dugu brothers mysteriously vanished, prompting a ravenous circling by wolves, Wei Xutuo, a Soul Transformation Monarch who had appeared to be the most loyal, longest-serving, and most senior figure in the Azure Feather Faction, unexpectedly defected, taking one-fifth of the *Heavenly Capital Feather Transformation Art* with him. Using the pretense of discussing strategies against their enemies, he lured another Soul Transformation Monarch who held a jade slip, Wu Tongtian, into a trap set by the Burning Feather Alliance. Wu Tongtian died filled with bitter regret, and Wei Xutuo acquired two portions of the *Heavenly Capital Feather Transformation Art*. The Burning Feather Alliance seized this opportunity to massively annex the Azure Feather Faction's territories.

Upon receiving the news, the Azure Feather Faction was first shocked, then consumed by immense rage. A centipede, though dead, never topples. A bloody counterattack began. The war ignited, then swept across the entire Yuandao Province.

Countless Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Soul Transformation cultivators were caught in the conflict. The celestial phenomena indicating deaths in the higher realms occurred ceaselessly, one after another. Paradoxically, the most numerous Qi Condensation cultivators were largely unaffected, as their combat power was too low to even be used as cannon fodder.

Bright Moon Palace. "Who is playing such a grand game again...?" Li Fan's eyes flickered as he took in all the major and minor events happening in Yuandao Province recently. The strong scent of conspiracy behind these events was simply too obvious.

"Any astute person could see the anomalies. Unfortunately, they are already deeply entangled in this chess game, unable to act on their own will. Qi Condensation cultivators, with their low strength, don't even qualify as pawns. No matter, if you look down on them, I won't."

Immediately, Li Fan convened the members of Bright Moon Palace and issued a directive for strategic expansion. Although Su Xiaomei and others didn't fully understand the command, they resolutely carried it out. At the end of Anchor Year 43, the great undertaking of 'Guiding the Dharma', which had been paused for half a year, resumed.

This time, it was even more intense than before. At Li Fan's instruction, Bright Moon Palace kept only 30,000 contribution points in reserve, lending out all the rest. News of Bright Moon Palace's business restarting instantly spread among Qi Condensation cultivators. Having waited anxiously for half a year, they were overjoyed.

They flocked to Bright Moon Lake in numbers that even exceeded Li Fan's imagination. However, Li Fan did not release all the 'Guiding the Dharma' slots at once. He continued to select one fated cultivator every three days, deliberately building up the cultivators' anticipation. It took nearly a month to lend out all the planned contribution points.

By this time, Bright Moon Palace's outstanding loans amounted to nearly 220,000 contribution points. Its own reserves were 30,000 contribution points. Zhang Zhiliang's legacy exchange still held 320,000 contribution points. The total amounted to 570,000 contribution points. Even Soul Transformation cultivators would be incredibly envious upon seeing such a sum.

Yet, the chaotic and warring situation in Yuandao Province provided Li Fan with the best environment for incubating growth. Under this unrestrained, wild growth, the terrifying speed of compound interest finally became apparent.

By the end of Anchor Year 44, Bright Moon Palace's outstanding loans had soared to 310,000 points. By the end of '45, 450,000 points. By the end of '46, 630,000 points. By mid-Anchor Year 50, Bright Moon Palace's outstanding loans had reached the astronomical figure of 2.2 million points.

In seven years, Bright Moon Palace successfully helped nearly 500 Qi Condensation cultivators achieve Foundation Establishment. Each time a cultivator was guided through the Dharma for a fee, the *Mountain Seclusion Art* would provide feedback equivalent to over six months of cultivation. Nearly 250 years of cultivation feedback had long pushed Li Fan to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage. Under the surveillance of the Formless Killing Intent, Li Fan personally witnessed the Foundation Establishment process over 500 times. By now, his understanding of "establishing a Dao foundation" probably surpassed that of any other Foundation Establishment cultivator in this realm.

At this time, the exceptionally talented Su Xiaomei had only just broken through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, while Xiao Heng was still hovering at the early Foundation Establishment stage. Such terrifying cultivation speed made Li Fan feel as if he were dreaming. And the huge amount of contribution points in his possession made Li Fan feel like he was treading on thin ice.

Far from the joy that came with his rapidly rising cultivation, a growing sense of unease subtly increased within him. He instructed the members of Bright Moon Palace to halt the 'Guiding the Dharma' business and to quickly retrieve the outstanding contribution points. Li Fan prepared for the worst, simultaneously reading methods for breaking through to the Golden Core stage in the Celestial Profound Realm and heightening his mental guard, ready to flee at any moment.

Yuandao Province, an unknown location. A black-robed cultivator had just awakened from seclusion. He habitually formed a hand seal.

In front of him, a golden ginkgo tree suddenly appeared. The black-robed cultivator held a whisk and gently waved it. The ginkgo tree, whose time seemed to have been frozen, suddenly began to change. The tree trunk swayed, and five golden leaves drifted down.

The black-robed cultivator's face lit up with joy: "How did five Soul Transformation cultivators die just from me entering seclusion?" He swiftly changed his hand seal.

Another identical tree suddenly appeared beside the golden ginkgo, but it emitted a soft silver glow. With another wave of the whisk, twenty-three silver leaves slowly floated down. The black-robed cultivator was even more delighted.

Performing a quick calculation with his fingers, he immediately understood the reason. "So, it was internal strife. What an unexpected bonus!" "Strange, whose doing is this? I can't even divine it?" "Hmph, never mind. The more deaths, the better. I had already significantly reduced the number of cultivators by employing the 'Azure Box Stratagem' using Azure Feather's death. Now, this turn of events means I'm likely to exceed my mission target."

The black-robed cultivator was inexplicably surprised, muttering to himself, "Yuandao Province has been peaceful for too long, with too many cultivators. It should have been severely pruned long ago, but that old man Azure Feather always protected them..." "Hmph, now that you're dead and gone, you can no longer show off."

A blue ginkgo appeared, and this time even more leaves fell. The black-robed cultivator's spirits soared: "The Heavenly Venerate's instructions are finally secured this time."

Then, he habitually summoned the last, green ginkgo. To the black-robed cultivator's astonishment, this green ginkgo grew rapidly in the wind. In just a few breaths, it had grown an entire circle larger than before. It brimmed with vitality, gently swaying. The black-robed cultivator was so shocked he stood up, exclaiming, "How can this be?!" "The number of Foundation Establishment cultivators has tripled within ten years?!"

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as the black-robed cultivator hastily performed divinations. "What an excellent 'Guiding the Dharma Bright Moon Palace'..." After a long while, the black-robed cultivator gnashed his teeth and said fiercely, "And a bunch of imitators..." "You all must die!"

The golden, silver, blue, and green ginkgo trees before him instantly turned to dust. The black-robed cultivator, whisk in hand, stepped forward and vanished.