Chapter 298: Xiao Fu, the Sky is Vast and Boundless

Back in his private courtyard, Li Fan once more drew a wisp of spirit to begin the identification process. This time, he keenly sensed a difference from before. In the vast, white space, Li Fan had previously been unable to effectively discern the presence of soul contracts, relying solely on a vague intuition. However, after being cleansed by the countless spirits in the Resentful Soul Sea, his own spirit seemed to have undergone a marvelous transformation.

After a series of tests, Li Fan was pleasantly surprised to find that his success rate for identification had leaped from 0.2% to 3%. "This simple and crude method is truly suited for me. With just a few more tries, identifying soul contracts will be no problem," Li Fan thought, feeling a surge of joy. With the aid of the Spirit Transformation Stone and the Yellow-Black Mind Refinement Spell, the Resentful Soul Sea posed almost no risk to Li Fan; instead, it presented an immense opportunity. Similar to how he felt after using the Willful Horse, Li Fan vaguely perceived his spirit had grown stronger. This even made him look forward to tomorrow's "Resentful Soul Sea surfing" arriving sooner.

Thus, through continuous study, training, and the repeated cleansing by the spirits of the Resentful Soul Sea, Li Fan’s success rate in sensing soul contracts steadily increased. It rose from 5% to 10%, then to 50%... When only eight members of the "lucky group" remained, the special training finally concluded. By then, Li Fan's accuracy had settled at 80%. Ji Hongdao's assessment was that Li Fan was at an intermediate level among everyone, barely acceptable, but with promising future prospects.

Unfortunately, the term for using the Resentful Soul Sea, requested by the Formation Strategy Hall, had expired. Li Fan no longer had the opportunity for special elevation and would have to rely on self-training to improve in the future. However, after so many days of being scoured by the Resentful Soul Sea and having intimate contact with countless spirits of the Five Elders' Society cultivators that carried soul contracts, Li Fan had now subtly grasped a method for identifying them. As long as a familiar sensation arose in his spirit upon contact with a soul wave, there was an 80% chance that a soul contract mark was present within it. Subsequent final verification greatly enhanced his accuracy. With this weakness eliminated, Li Fan's ranking among the numerous formation masters steadily rose.

As Li Fan continued his advanced studies at the Myriad Universe Courtyard, time advanced to Anchor Year 27.

Congyun Sea.Near a deserted island.

Xiao Heng stood facing the wind, his demeanor now vastly different from before. One hundred and eight azure water swords spun and shifted around him, forming various profound formations. He gazed at the water below, his expression solemn. A strange cry emanated from the depths of the sea. A shadow beneath the surface rapidly expanded, instantly enveloping Xiao Heng. The phantom of a gigantic beast materialized, opening its massive maw as if to devour Xiao Heng.

A flicker of blue light appeared in Xiao Heng's eyes. In an instant, his form became illusory, vanishing from his spot and evading the beast's attack. High in the sky, Xiao Heng observed the beast's missed strike, a faint smile playing on his lips. With a gentle exhale, nearby clouds were drawn to him, rapidly converging. Figures remarkably similar to Xiao Heng, composed entirely of clouds, swiftly took shape—tens, hundreds, thousands... In a flash, an army of cloud-men was formed. Wielding sharp swords, they swooped down to attack the beast below. Immediately, sword light crisscrossed, and thousands of explosions erupted on the beast's body.

"Weak! Too weak!""Xiao Heng, are you trying to tickle me?"

The beast, surprisingly, spoke in human language; it was Ye Feipeng's voice. Effortlessly deflecting Xiao Heng's attacks, Ye Feipeng's colossal body trembled slightly. The sea churned, raising hundred-zhang-high waves. The beast soared into the air, transforming into a bird, and shot skyward. It utterly disregarded the thousands of cloud-men. It charged through them irresistibly, shattering all the cloud-men in an instant before appearing next to Xiao Heng.

Xiao Heng's expression remained unchanged, his form once again becoming illusory. Moments later, he reappeared in another part of the sky.

"Fatty, what good is brute force alone?""Your attacks against me are like throwing an axe at the sky. The sky is so high and vast. No matter how high the axe is thrown, it can't even graze the sky!""This is one of the Four Golden Core Laws I've comprehended: the Law of Emptiness!""What do you think?" Xiao Heng's tone held a hint of pride.

Previously, as he was nearing the formation of his Golden Core, he received a vague intuition that guided him to the center of Congyun Sea. Upon seeing the transparent, dreamlike structure standing in the sky, Xiao Heng was deeply moved. The Cloudwater Heavenly Palace, a repository of countless opportunities, drew many cultivators who risked their lives to enter, hoping for sudden wealth. But... they all overlooked that the very existence of the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace was a miracle! Cloud and water transformed into shape, floating in the sky. A grand spectacle, existing between reality and illusion!

Xiao Heng stood outside the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace for nearly a year, during which countless cultivators entered and exited, pointing and whispering about him. He paid no heed, simply focusing on careful introspection. Eventually, by observing how the Cloudwater Heavenly Palace existed in the world, he comprehended the Law of Cloud and the Law of Emptiness. Combined with the Law of Sea and the Law of Sword he gained from cultivating the *Divine Sea-Calming Sword*, he ultimately formed his Golden Core using these four laws!

Not long after returning to the deserted island, he encountered Ye Feipeng, who had also broken through to the Golden Core realm. Xiao Heng, with his greatly advanced power, couldn't resist the urge to spar with him. Ye Feipeng, of course, agreed. And so, the battle ensued.

Even with ample psychological preparation, Xiao Heng was astonished by their clash. Compared to before, Ye Feipeng's "beast transformation" was far more complete. He could now completely shed his human form and become a true beast. In his Kun form, his body was immense, hidden in the sea, and incredibly fast, making him elusive. If Xiao Heng wasn't careful, Ye Feipeng would leap from beneath the surface and swallow everything in his path. In his Peng form, his speed was even greater. When his wings fully spread, hurricanes would accompany him. With both speed and power enhanced, his destructive capability was absurdly high. Xiao Heng's Golden Core realm's One Hundred and Eight Divine Sea-Calming Sword Formation had even been directly smashed apart by him. Fortunately, Xiao Heng's profoundly mystical "Law of Emptiness" allowed him to evade Ye Feipeng's furious attacks time and again.

Seeing that the situation was still the same, the "little fatty" became enraged. "Xiao, an axe to a high and vast sky, too low to even graze it? Xiao Heng, you're too confident!""Human power is limited. Furthermore, how can a mere Golden Core cultivator compare to the true sky!""If you are the sky...""Then, I shall devour the sky!"

Amidst a thunderous roar, the already colossal body of the Kunpeng expanded even further. It flapped its wings, and countless chains formed of green wind locked down the sky before it. Then, it opened its vast maw, and a black shadow emerged from within. That shadow seemed to contain infinite suction, and the sky began to distort, moving towards its mouth. Xiao Heng's face changed slightly. He attempted to shift his form again, but to his horror, his previously infallible "Law of Emptiness" had lost its effect! His body uncontrollably flew towards the terrifying beast's mouth, and the spiritual energy in his body ceased to flow under the immense pressure emanating around him.

Seeing this, Xiao Heng could only cry out in resignation, "I surrender! I surrender!" A flicker of blood-red appeared in the Kunpeng's eyes, showing no sign of stopping. Fortunately, moments later, black re-occupied the beast's eyes, and Ye Feipeng finally regained consciousness and ceased his actions.