Chapter 328: Illusory Dream Adjusting Snow Silence

Li Fan did not immediately go to rescue the young girl who was suffering. Instead, he slowly began to grasp the authority of a master by observing everything happening to Lu Xuejing.

"Hmm... I can vaguely perceive the surroundings through her. I can also speak directly in her mind and issue commands."

"In that case, the communication talisman I used earlier was redundant and could have left a weakness. It's better to retract it."

Li Fan unhurriedly flew over to Lu Xuejing's side.

Suffering for a long time, her pretty face had become as pale as a sheet of paper. Her entire body was drenched in sweat, as if she had just been pulled from water. Her exquisite figure was faintly visible beneath her damp, translucent clothing.

Li Fan placed both hands on her, steadying Lu Xuejing's trembling body. His spiritual energy flowed out and circulated within her. Her body seemed to offer no resistance to him at all. In an instant, Li Fan completed his exploration. The girl held no more secrets from Li Fan.

Upon clearly seeing the foundational artifact in Lu Xuejing's dantian, Li Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. It was a snow-covered plain, frozen for a thousand miles. Even miniature versions of many cities and villages were faintly discernible. A piece of information instantly appeared in his mind: "Earth's Marvel: Winter Ice Crystal."

"Truly worthy of being a top-tier 'Immortal Scion' from the Myriad Immortals Alliance. Not only can she establish her foundation at twenty-three, but her foundational artifact is also an Earth's Marvel perfectly compatible with her physique and cultivation method. Her starting point in life is something ordinary cultivators couldn't achieve in a lifetime, even slaving away. Too bad her mind isn't as good..."

Li Fan's gaze was cold, without a shred of pity for her. He continued his research.

"Only pure spiritual energy is present in her body, with no other foreign energies. Nor are there any traces of formations or restrictions... The source of this pain... It's as if the body's fundamental settings were directly altered through its essence. Without a master, she would lose the very foundation for the continuation of her life. This method is truly inconceivable."

As he mused internally, Lu Xuejing, who had been tormented for a long time, grew weaker and weaker, clearly on the verge of collapse. She was teetering on the brink of death; her struggles grew fainter, and her pupils began to dilate.

"Master... save me," Lu Xuejing's voice suddenly echoed in Li Fan's mind.

At that moment, perhaps driven by her survival instinct, she finally surrendered completely to Li Fan. Li Fan smiled faintly and gently stroked the top of her head with his right hand.

"Huu!" Lu Xuejing's body arched sharply, as if she could finally breathe freely, gasping heavily for air. At the same time, perhaps due to the lingering effects of prolonged pain, her body quickly slumped back down after a period and she began to twitch erratically.

Li Fan never let go of his hand. After an unknown period, Lu Xuejing slowly returned to normal. Her body and mind had reached their limits, and she drifted into a deep sleep.

"She's too young and naive. If she goes back like this, she'll likely give herself away, even if her life depends on it. She still needs more guidance."

Li Fan looked at the unconscious Lu Xuejing, whose face was flushed with an unnatural rosy hue. He withdrew his right hand, then gently pointed a finger towards her brow.

Cloudwater Illusory Dream Technique, activate!

With his advancement to the Golden Core stage, his spiritual sense had made a qualitative leap, and the dreams Li Fan wove became increasingly realistic. Through repeated dream cycles, Li Fan, acting as her master, guided Lu Xuejing in preparing for various possible situations upon her return.

In these dreams, woven primarily from Lu Xuejing's memories, Li Fan also gained a general understanding of her mother, Lu Xichan. She was extremely assertive and highly controlling. She had long ago charted Lu Xuejing's path of cultivation. Her main body was busy with official duties and couldn't always accompany her child, leaving only a clone to supervise. She was unyielding and had no emotional communication with her child.

"If I hadn't intervened, she would have almost ruined the child's upbringing," Li Fan secretly shook his head.

When the sun set again, Lu Xuejing finally awoke from the endless illusory dreams. The confusion in her eyes gradually dissipated, and the moment she saw Li Fan, she instinctively called out, "Master..." But she quickly realized her mistake. A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, but her body had already formed an instinct. Moreover, the recent agony, like falling into an endless purgatory, was still vivid in her memory. Lu Xuejing simply couldn't muster the courage to resist. After a moment of hesitation, she quickly got up and knelt gracefully before Li Fan, touching her forehead to the ground. Without Li Fan's instruction, she dared not move an inch.

"You may go now. Be patient, lie low, cultivate, and await my commands," Li Fan finally spoke after a long silence.

"This servant understands," Lu Xuejing kowtowed once more. She then rose and flew away, showing no signs of panic in her movements, and her face had regained its previous proud expression.

"With Lu Xuejing's opportune cooperation, my chances of entering the Five Elements Grand Grotto-Heaven have significantly increased. Whether it will succeed depends on how events unfold. However, the necessary preparations must still be made."

Li Fan watched Lu Xuejing's disappearing figure. Moments later, his own body transformed into a streak of light and returned to Tianyu City.

Before cultivating, Li Fan first searched for information about Guan Xingxiu, the Commander of the Tianyu State Garrison Command. Previously, when Ji Hongdao uncharacteristically allowed him to leave, he had told him not to worry about any more accidents occurring. At that time, Li Fan had a premonition that the commander's fate might not be good. Upon checking, it was indeed as he suspected. First, he was dismissed from his post and placed under investigation. Then a quick verdict was reached: his cultivation was cut by a major realm, and he was exiled to Lanlin State, a remote southern region. The punishment was undeniably severe. Besides Guan Xingxiu, two other commanders also received severe punishments. Although it wasn't as cruel as having their cultivation cut, they were also transferred from their positions and lost any chance of becoming the General Commander of the Garrison Command.

"This is a lightning-fast measure to inform those below of the determination to construct the Heaven-Profound Spirit Locking Array. Regardless of whether you were wronged or were the orchestrator of a conspiracy, if you were involved in this matter, you would all be severely punished. Using schemes and tricks to compete for the position of General Commander? That's acceptable. But obstructing the construction progress of the Heaven-Profound Spirit Locking Array? That is unacceptable."

"With the unexpected withdrawal of the three candidates, the successor for the next General Commander has become largely clear. The one who was originally least favored, who previously hadn't even taken the election seriously, and could be said to have won by default... is Lu Junyi, from Tianyun State."

"Tianyun State..." Remembering that He Zhenghao was currently serving in the Tianyun State Garrison Command, it brought to mind the saying, "When one person achieves enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven." He wondered if He Zhenghao would gain any benefits from this situation.