Chapter 327: Chief Formation Master

Thinking of this, a strange look appeared in Li Fan's eyes.

“Stand on one leg, turn two circles to the left first. Then turn three circles to the right.” To verify, Li Fan commanded in a cold voice again.

If his previous question had been somewhat rude, Li Fan’s current demand was utterly outrageous. Making a female Foundation Establishment cultivator, whom he had just met, perform such a bizarre and comical action was something no normal person would agree to. Yet, Lu Xuejing meticulously and seriously completed the entire set of movements. However, she glared intensely at Li Fan, her eyes seemingly burning with fire, as if she wished to grind his bones to dust.

But what kind of person was Li Fan? How could he be intimidated by a mere novice girl? He smiled slightly and said to Lu Xuejing, “It seems you still don’t understand your current situation. Hmm, daring to speak disrespectfully to the Fisherman Elder, whose background is unknown… perhaps you genuinely lack a bit of discipline. Keep turning in circles like you just did. You cannot stop without my command.” Li Fan said coldly.

A flicker of humiliation crossed Lu Xuejing’s eyes, yet her body remained obedient. She began turning in circles comically. Li Fan ignored her for the time being, instead pondering the reason for the current situation.

Earlier, when the Fisherman Elder handed Lu Xuejing over to Li Fan, he had used terms like “item” and “thing” to describe her. Clearly, in the Fisherman Elder’s eyes, this naive young girl was his property. Afterwards, having obtained the Stealing Heaven and Swapping Sun Token, he exchanged it by gifting this “item” to Li Fan. Thus, the ownership of this item fell to Li Fan. As the owner of the item, Li Fan naturally possessed absolute control over her. Although he didn't know how the Fisherman Elder achieved this, Lu Xuejing’s current unquestioning obedience to Li Fan made it an established fact.

“‘Item’ is correct,” Li Fan mused. “But where does her ‘great use’ manifest?” A Foundation Establishment female cultivator, no matter how beautiful, was of absolutely no great use to Li Fan, who was solely focused on pursuing immortality. “Unless…”

Thinking of this, Li Fan, without stopping Lu Xuejing from turning, directly asked, “Tell me information about your mother.” A glimmer of hope flashed in Lu Xuejing’s eyes, and she stammered, “My mother’s name is Lu Xichan, Chief Formation Master of the Myriad Immortals Alliance’s Strategy Formation Hall, with Soul Integration cultivation…”

As the girl’s words reached his ears, Li Fan’s heart jolted, and a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes as he looked at Lu Xuejing. “Chief of Strategy Formation Hall, the need to set up the Heavenly Mystery Locking Spirit Formation in the grotto-heaven, the Five Elements Great Heaven…” “Could it be this?” In an instant, Li Fan thought of a possibility.

“I don’t know what the Fisherman Elder saw in me. But since he has presented this great opportunity to me, I certainly cannot miss it. If I can gather some information about the Five Elements Great Heaven, it would be worth it, even if I have to revert to reality in this life. If I could personally enter the grotto-heaven and observe it from within, that would be even better.” Li Fan’s eyes gleamed, and he felt a surge of excitement.

However, he didn't let this unexpected boon go to his head and quickly calmed down. “A Soul Integration Immortal Venerable, and a chief formation master at that. Her strength must be unfathomable. Although I now have control over her daughter, using this as leverage to threaten or seek benefits would likely be a path to death. How to proceed specifically, I still need to plan carefully.”

After an unknown period, Li Fan watched as the anger in Lu Xuejing’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by tear-filled, pleading desperation. An idea slowly formed in Li Fan’s mind. “Stop!” he finally called out. Lu Xuejing, as if a great burden had been lifted, stopped her comical movements.

“Alright, you can go home now,” Li Fan said directly. Lu Xuejing was first stunned, looking at Li Fan incredulously. Then a flicker of ecstasy appeared on her face. Her body regaining its freedom, she instinctively wanted to flee from this place, far from Li Fan. Yet, a series of demonic whispers sounded in her ears.

“Remember, the relationship between us is your most important secret. You cannot reveal even a shred of information to anyone, in any way. If anyone becomes aware, or even just suspects… then… you will end your own life.” Li Fan’s voice was utterly cold.

Lu Xuejing’s body trembled slightly. “After you go back, say nothing and act completely normal. Silently await my notification. If anyone asks, just say you were captured by the Fisherman Elder and lost consciousness. Then you were saved by a stranger, but before you could express your gratitude, your benefactor vanished without a trace.” A communication talisman flew to her side. Li Fan’s voice sounded simultaneously. “Take it. Alright, you may go.” Receiving her master’s command, Lu Xuejing put away the communication talisman. Not daring to look back, she flew towards the distant horizon.

Li Fan squinted, watching the girl’s receding figure. “Bargaining with a tiger, though extremely dangerous, yields hundreds or thousands of times the profit if successful. As long as I am careful and revert to reality immediately if something feels wrong, I can minimize the risk. Perhaps, in fact, it’s not as dangerous as I imagine. The Fisherman Elder’s methods are peculiar; even I, as the person involved, couldn’t detect them. If that girl hadn’t been so incompetent and her reactions so obvious, I probably wouldn’t have thought such bizarre and illogical things could happen.”

“Wait…” In an instant, Li Fan seemed to realize something. “This feeling, it seems somewhat similar to the ‘Ghoulish’?” In Li Fan’s mind, the people in Cloudwater Heavenly Palace in Congyun Sea, and the Daoist Master pulling a carriage with a green ox, couldn’t help but resurface. “The Heavenly Fiend Sword is hidden in Cloudwater Heavenly Palace, and all the inhabitants of Cloudwater Heavenly Palace transformed into ghoulish beings. Was even the owner of the Heavenly Fiend Sword like this? What exactly happened back then?”

Just as Li Fan fell into deep thought, an inexplicable feeling suddenly welled up in his heart. He looked up and saw that Lu Xuejing, who was originally flying high in the distant sky and had become merely a black dot, suddenly plummeted like a kite with a broken string. She plunged straight down, breaking many tree branches, and disappeared from Li Fan’s sight.

At the same time, a scene suddenly appeared in Li Fan’s mind: Lu Xuejing, her face filled with extreme pain, body contorted, rolling on the ground, her entire body convulsing uncontrollably. She struggled desperately, like a mortal deprived of air, or a fish out of water. Li Fan watched this scene, a realization dawning on him. As the owner’s item, she could not leave the owner without permission. Although Li Fan had just verbally told her to leave, he had not exercised his authority as her owner. Because at that time, he still didn't know what kind of permissions he had over his “item.” But now, Li Fan had finally experienced it firsthand.